To pin or not to pin!

[Jon Lilley]

Hi Barb!,

Thank you very much for the 'permission' to use pins! I'm pretty sure I'll continue to use them, because I, too, get a superior looking pleat. Pins have saved me from having to rip out a lot of work!!! When you're as particular as I am, they really do pay off.

Also, a jig (thank you very much Patti S! I owe you big time for that!) with top and bottom pleat measurements cut out of a small piece of card stock, and the pleat center measurements marked in each end is another great tool! They've saved me literally hours of fumbling around with the measuring tape. I'm not quite as fast as you yet, Barb, but watch out! I'm gaining ground! LOL!

In Elsie's defense, . . . she's teaching the way she learned and is dutifully passing on the tradition. If I made kilts all day long, I'd probably be working toward no pins as well. Till then, . . . please pass the pins.

[Tartan Tess]

After 5 years of doing it "Elsies way" I tried more pins and they got in my way of my left hand.
But your pleats Barb, are my goal....I'm doomed.

[Dixiecat]

True, but for most of the people on this forum, it really doesn't matter if it takes an extra half hour to make a kilt. Even for me, it doesn't matter. If I don't pin, I might be able to make 41 kilts in the time it takes me to make 40 (although, chances are pretty good that I'd jack it up at some point and kill off any savings I made when I had to take out pleats and re-do them. In this particular case, I don't find the "time is money" argument very compelling.

Your comment that "I'm not there unless I'm working with wool" implies that it is inevitably worth it to "get there". For any specific case, I think it's worth doing the actual analysis. If you can make a blouse at home in half the time by using industrial methods, that's great and definitely worth doing. If I saved 15 minutes over the course of the project, it wouldn't be worth it to me and I wouldn't waste time feeling bad about myself up because I wasn't using industrial methods.

Very true. I was not saying that using pins is bad or a time waster in any way. In fact, I used pins making my kilts and I imagine would go home from taking a course with Elsie with my hands bruised from being slapped for not doing things as she likes. Doing things right the first time is never a time wasting attitude and I just know my limitations when handsewing!

I was agreeing with Elsie's 'time is money' when the time you save can get you a kilt out the door quicker, not that you can make more kilts over the same period. I once chatted with a kiltmaker that the Scottish Lion employed some time ago. He was an ex-army kiltmaker who was expected to turn around kilts within 24hrs! That 1/2 saved by not pinning would be to his benefit. However, you're not turning out fast food kilts, but works of art, so whichever techniques you employ that satisfy your high standard of quality is part of what makes your kilts #1.

My comment about 'not being there yet' is more directed at the technique not it's time saving qualities. Sewing with pins can be aggravating at times especially with set in sleeves and a sewing machine. Stopping to take the pins out as you sew, pins getting caught in the foot, etc. Wool is just so easy to work with and eases in like a charm. If I could master the technique with cotton velvet I would be very happy.

[MT4Runner]

The only thing I dislike about pins when hand-sewing is having the loop of thread catch on the pin.

Aligning the fabric, the pins, and your dominant hand, one can usually stitch toward the pins, keeping the loop toward ones body and minimize catching. Or vice versa.

[Barb T]

These are all good points, folks! Thanks for the comments.

[J3Piper]

Oh my.... I am very new to the forum and to attempt kilt making, so please excuse me for jumping in here. I use a particular brand of "flat head flower pins" made by a company called Clover. They are extra long, very slender, and designed for quilters so the pin head is absolutely flat on the fabric with no distortion as with the round heads. I will add a link to them if anyone is interested, I have not learned how to post photos yet, sorry. The only caveat is do not try and iron too close to them.

As far as pin placement in relation to seams, I was always taught (and have learned the hard way, ouch) to place a pin parallel to the fabric edge, with the point in the direction the fabric is being fed. Aside for the mechanics of holding the fabric, this assures that the operator will not sew over a pin at speed. Sooner or later the law of averages (and looming sewing deadlines) guarantees the sewing machine needle will whack dead center onto the offending pin.

When that happens, you will:

a. have a machine that is out of commission till it can be retimed by a knowledgeable person, or
b. be picking bits of broken needle shrapnel out of your face and being very happy you had on glasses, or
c. both of the above

Thanks for all the knowledge you share,

Valerie

[J3Piper]

http://clover-usa.com/product/69402/...d_Pins_(Boxed)

Found it!

[Tartan Tess]

There are pins that look just like this in yellow that you can iron over. Don't know the brand.

[David Thorpe]

On my latest (DIY #5, 8-yard Jura) I first pinned at the waist and bottom of the fell, then basted the portion of the pleat to be sewn down and removed the pins before stitching. It worked very well.

[Barb T]

First, whatever works for you is what's really important. Having said that, I'm not a big fan of basting a pleat before stitching because, once it's basted, there's no adjusting without taking out all the basting. Pinning the pleat well from the bottom of the fell to the top is quicker, holds at least as well (and in my estimation actually better) than basting, and can be adjusted easily!