Defining the elements of tartan and kilt

[morrison]

woof
What is, SETT:
STRIPE;
SELVEDGE;
FALL;
PLEAT;
SPORRAN;
DART;
STITCH;
BASTE STITCH;
SWATCH;
HEM;
many more terms are used in the construct of the kilt. Add them and give definition to them so we may have a more comprehensive collection of appropriate terminology for the kilt conversation.
arf

[chrisupyonder]

woof
What is, SETT:
STRIPE;
SELVEDGE;
FALL;
PLEAT;
SPORRAN;
DART;
STITCH;
BASTE STITCH;
SWATCH;
HEM;
many more terms are used in the construct of the kilt. Add them and give definition to them so we may have a more comprehensive collection of appropriate terminology for the kilt conversation.
arf

DROP
RISE
BOX PLEAT
DOUBLE BOX PLEAT
SINGLE WIDTH of fabric
DOUBLE WIDTH of fabric
WEIGHT of fabric
LINING
APRON
HIDDEN PLEAT
BELT LOOPS

Chris.

[davidlpope]

The absolute best resource to answer all your questions is Barb T's Art of Kiltmaking...

[morrison]

What is, SETT:
STRIPE;
SELVEDGE;
FALL;
PLEAT (BOX PLEAT, DOUBLE BOX PLEAT, KNIFE PLEAT, HIDDEN PLEAT);
SPORRAN;
DART;
STITCH;
BASTE STITCH;
SWATCH;
HEM;
DROP;
RISE;
SINGLE WIDTH of fabric, DOUBLE WIDTH of fabric;
WEIGHT of fabric;
LINING;
APRON;
BELT LOOPS

These terms need defining for me to understand what is being talked about.

thx Chris for the additions.

[chrisupyonder]

These terms need defining for me to understand what is being talked about.

And I had to constantly search on here and goggle.com just about every post.

A full list with definitions would really help a lot of new folks and maybe the final list could be made a sticky.

Great idea Morrison

Chris.

[xman]

Here is a start. Anybody feel free to correct my mistakes or add definitions for the pleats which I haven't done yet. I also agree that The Art of Kiltmaking is an excellent source for information and details on kilts. Well worth the investment even if you never plan to sew a kilt.

SETT: This is the design of the tartan, what colour the threads are, how many of them and in what order.
STRIPE; A thin collection of a few threads all of the same colour placed together sometimes against a contrasting background.
SELVEDGE; This is the natural edge of the kilt where the threads turn back on themselves at the edge of the fabric. A traditional or 'turned' selvedge will weave the cloth in a continuous thread, tying on to a new spool wherever the previous spool ends. A 'tucked' edge weaves a cut end back just an inch or so.
FALL;
SPORRAN; A bag which hangs in front of the kilt to carry sundries.
DART; Like a pleat, but tapered from a wider section to a point.
STITCH; Thread is pulled through the fabric pieces to hold them together
BASTE STITCH; Temporary stitches used to hold the fabric together before the permanent stitches go in.
SWATCH; A piece of material used for display or as an example.
HEM; Where an edge has been taken up to reduce the length of a garment.
DROP: The length from waist to knee.
RISE: The length above the waist to the top band.
SINGLE WIDTH of fabric: Usually of about 27" wide and of any length.
DOUBLE WIDTH of fabric Usually of about 54" wide and of any length.
WEIGHT of fabric: The weight of one yard length of double width cloth.
LINING: A cotton barrier inside the kilt to make it comfortable against the wearer's skin.
APRON: The flat front of a kilt.
BELT LOOPS: Sporran belt loops actually, usually only two in the rear, pleated section of the kilt.

[Bugbear]

I'm guessing "FALL" was intended to be "FELL."

It's the stitched down part of the pleat.

Don't leave out stabilizer, hair canvas, steeking, etc. A kilt maker should define them.

[Steve Ashton]

There is a section of the FAQ's where some of the terms used in kilt making are defined. When this list is done I will add these to that list.

[Jock Scot]

Gosh you chaps like your detail! That's fine for those that require to know, but I have always gone along with the theory of " a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and not enough is disastrous"!

For me I have no idea how an engine works. I know when it does not.
I have no idea about the internal workings of a firearm. I know when it fails to work.
Fishing reels either work ,or they don't. Thank goodness they do, most of the time!
Computers, websites, internet, technojargon. A complete and utter mystery to me, but I know when it fails to work!
I have little understanding of gravity. I know when I drop a brick it hurts if it lands on your foot.
I have no real clue how a kilt is made. I know when it looks wrong.

Give me the simple life!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Some the the below are not terms particular to kiltmaking by any means. For example, kilts don't normally even have darts in them. And are you honestly looking for a basic definition of what a "stitch" is or what "lining" is? Or are you looking for information particular to kiltmaking?

But some terms on your list are particular to kilts and I'm happy to go into more detail.

SETT is short for "setting" and essentially refers to the pattern of the tartan. Tartan cloth is woven in a repeating pattern, and the design from one repeat to the next is the sett. When a kilt is "pleated to the sett" the pleats are arranged in such a way that the pattern of the tartan is repeated across the back of the kilt. This has been a common way to pleat a kilt since the turn of the twentieth century.

STRIPE would simply refer to any individual line in the tartan design. When a kilt is "pleated to the stripe" then the pleats are arranged so that a single stripe is on each pleat, breaking up the tartan pattern. This was the common way to pleat kilts for much of the nineteenth century and is still used for military kilts to the present.

SELVAGE (sometimes SELVEDGE) refers to the edge of a length of cloth woven in a particular way to create a finished edge (self-edge) which does not require any hemming or other treatment. Traditional kilts are made with a selvage at the bottom of the kilt. Peter MacDonald has an excellent little article about what a selvage is here.

KNIFE PLEAT or SIDE PLEAT is when all the pleats run in the same direction. Common way to pleat a kilt, first introduced in the military by the Gordon Highlanders in 1854.

BOX PLEAT is when the pleats fall in alternating directions to form "boxes". Original style of pleating for the tailored kilt from the 1790s.

DOUBLE BOX PLEAT is an unusual way of creating a box pleat using twice the ordinary amount of cloth by making an "accordion fold" in the pleat. Invented in the early twenty-first century by a certain French kiltmaker. :-)

BASTING STITCH is a line of stitching sewn in the pleats of a finished kilt to assist in pressing and/or keep the pleats neat during shipping of a kilt. Usually a white thread -- new kilt owners please carefully remove this thread before wearing your kilt out in public!

SWATCH is a small sample of cloth, generally used as a "preview" before ordering a larger amount, or having a garment such as a kilt made to measure.

RISE is the amount of the kilt which comes above the waistline. Typical civilian kilts have about a 2" rise, while military kilts have a 4" rise.

SINGLE WIDTH fabric is typically about 29" wide. DOUBLE WIDTH FABRIC is typically 54" wide or more. The only difference to the consumer is that for an "8 yard kilt" the kiltmaker needs 8 yards of SW or 4 yards of DW fabric to work with.

FABRIC WEIGHT is the amount one linear yard of cloth weighs (generally calculated as double width fabric, or 54" wide). Heavy weight is generally around 16 oz. Medium weight is around 13 oz. Light weight is around 11 or 10 oz. Spring weight (or "tie weight") is 8 or 9 oz and often plain weave (as opposed to twill). Regimental weight is 18 oz but in the past has been heavier.

What is, SETT:
STRIPE;
SELVEDGE;
FALL;
PLEAT (BOX PLEAT, DOUBLE BOX PLEAT, KNIFE PLEAT, HIDDEN PLEAT);
SPORRAN;
DART;
STITCH;
BASTE STITCH;
SWATCH;
HEM;
DROP;
RISE;
SINGLE WIDTH of fabric, DOUBLE WIDTH of fabric;
WEIGHT of fabric;
LINING;
APRON;
BELT LOOPS

These terms need defining for me to understand what is being talked about.

thx Chris for the additions.