The Art of Kiltmaking Q's

[mycoleptodiscus]

Is anyone familiar with this book? Barbara Tewksbury & Elsie Steuhmeyer? I could use some decision making help... I bought a tartan remnant to make a traditional kilt. I tried to put in a hidden pleat in case I need to make the kilt larger in the future. I ended up putting the hidden pleat in the wrong place and now I'm all screwed up. I have seams on the underapron that should be on the apron My pleats are *perfect* except for the first two, which are a bit larger than the rest. Is there ANY way of going back and repairing these two first pleats? Is there any way of ripping out the hidden pleat and then re-drawing the apron and underapron? I have plenty of fabric to work with. I really want to scrap the kilt, partly to gain catharsis (I'm a perfectionist) and use the beautiful fabric for something else. I am a bit past the point where I have all of my pleats sewn. I ordered another remnant and will try again with that I guess- and not screw things up this time. The bummer is that I'm 6'6" tall so the pleats take a rather long time to sew by hand...

[Bugbear]

mycoleptodiscus, Barbara Tewksbury is a member of X Marks the Scot, Barb T., so you came to the right place to ask.
That being said, I can't help you, but welcome.

[The Wizard of BC]

Welcome to our Rabble. Around her as long as you are trying you are welcome.

Barb Tewksbury is not only the famous Barb T. here on X Marks but one of the nicest people you will ever meet. You can send her a Private Message or wait for her to see this and respond.

Her book is considered The Bible of Kiltmaking to most of us.

OH BARB!!!!! KNOCK KNOCK!!!!!!
THERE'S A GUY HERE WHO NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!!!!!!

[ChattanCat]

Do you have enough material in the left side (by the fringed side) of the apron (top apron or left apron) to put the hidden pleat in the deep pleat? If so, you can remove the stitching apron to first pleat stitching and remark the apron and put the in hidden pleat. Then you just re-stitch the apron edge to the first pleat. You want to make sure you are only going thru the two layer of the first pleat and not sewing to second pleat. Not easy because you can't put your hand in the first pleat. My suggestion is to check for catches after each stich.

PS "The Art of Kiltmaking" is THE bible.

[Carolina Kiltman]

Do you have enough material in the left side (by the fringed side) of the apron (top apron or left apron) to put the hidden pleat in the deep pleat? If so, you can remove the stitching apron to first pleat stitching and remark the apron and put the in hidden pleat. Then you just re-stitch the apron edge to the first pleat. You want to make sure you are only going thru the two layer of the first pleat and not sewing to second pleat. Not easy because you can't put your hand in the first pleat. My suggestion is to check for catches after each stitch.

PS "The Art of Kiltmaking" is THE bible.

And Barb is the formost saint of Kiltmaking, for her most generous advice when there is no profit in it for her.

Suggest you get the book, now about $40 (total with shipping) it is wonderful. I ordered one on a Saturday afternoon via internet, and it came in the following Wednesday.

I sympathize with the height problem, I used to be just under that but shrank a bit over the past 60+ years. Still my finished kilts are about 25" long.

[mycoleptodiscus]

I think it would be best if I posted some pictures of what I have at the moment so you all understand where I am coming from. I'll get them up tomorrow. Yes, I already have the book.

[Kiltman]

You can't do better than Barb's book. As Steve points out you can just ask Barb and she will answer your question. This is a great forum for those who want to try to make kilts. Welcome from Eastern Washington State.

[Packhound]

I don't think that any of us can say enough about Barb's Book. I refer to it frequently even while I am making a box pleated kilt. (Barb, we are still waiting patiently (at least trying) for the guide to box pleats.)

[Alan H]

Question: Can I rip out two pleats and re-sew them?

Answer: yes you can though you may have to rip out more than two, depending on how you sewed the thing together.

If you haven't sewn in the waistband, you can rip out pleats at the beginning and re-sew. HOWEVER....just how HORRIBLE are they?

Keep this in mind, mad perfectionist or not, it' s your first kilt. You will make more kilts. When you strap the thing on, you can't see all the tiny little imperfections. When it's in your hand and you're sewing, every micrometer of misalignment glares out at you, whispering you SUCK as a kiltmaker in your febrile imagination. When it's on your rumpus, no such whispering goes on.

My point is that unless the first couple of pleats are REALLY bad and render the thing unwearable, you might strap it on yourself, three-quarters done and then go find a good and honest friend and ask them if it's really obvious when you wear it. If they say

"what problem with the pleats?"

or

"well yeah, I can see that it's a little bit off, OK, sure I guess, if you say so, but....."

then hang it, finish the kilt and wear the thing. The next one will be better. If they say

My GOD what have you DONE????

then you might go back and rip 'em out, eh?

It's a kilt, not a shrine. Not only that, but it's your FIRST kilt, made out of excess, inexpensive fabric. Save the mental torture for your ultimate tank.

[Alan H]

But I have got to ask why you've chosen for your handle, the latin name of a genus of plant fungi, which google reveals on rare occasions actually infects people who spend a lot of time rooting around in their gardens.