"Flash of color" in pleating to the stripe

[Barb T]

The back of a kilt pleated to the stripe commonly looks very different from the front of the kilt, because every pleat emphasizes the same color or set of colors, which may be very different from the overall color of a tartan. This also means that the part of the tartan hidden in the pleats will be different from the part of the tartan chosen for the pleat reveal. If the contrast is strong, the pleats can "flash" a dramatically different color when the wearer walks.

I just finished a kilt in Modern Young, and I thought I'd share a couple of pictures to show a spectacular example of this flash of colors.





If you want this to work with a kilt that you're making, you need a big contrast in color between the reveal and the hidden part of the pleat, or else it won't be noticeable. And you need to choose the location of the pleats so that the contrasting color is directly below the pleat reveal, rather than hidden deeper in the fold.

[kiltedwolfman]

That looks awesome!

[cdarwin]

I love this!

[R.S.L. Kiltwearer]

Great job, and great timing as i was just trying to explain this very thing to my wife last night

[artificer]

Barb, that is absolutely stunning!

If I may pick your brain for a moment...

Do you think that "flash of colour" pleating might work on the below tartan?



It's an 8" sett.

I'm wondering if it would be possible to get the green to flash similarly?

ith:

[Kilted Magyar]

What a colorful way to be a "flasher".

[Barb T]

Do you think that "flash of colour" pleating might work on the below tartan?

In order for this to work well, the section of the tartan that you pick has to be just to the right of the color that you want to have "flash". If you don't do this, the pleat reveal won't directly overlie the color that you want to have flash.

So, it would work if you pleated to the dark green block to the right of the light green (i.e., to the "no stripe"). With a sett of 8", the dark green block is certainly wide enough. How much of a flash there is will depend on how much color contrast there is in the actual tartan. You won't know that until you actually have the woven piece in hand.

[tulloch]

I learn so much here. Barb, I never could have imagined that there is so much variation in what can be done with 'tartan.' You are amazing and I am a better person for it. Thank you.

[AKScott]

I like this very much. Thanks for sharing Barb. Back to folding my swatch...

[Father Bill]

This is delightful and amazing; it's part of what makes the whole kilt business so exciting. Barb, bless you for sharing!