Last week I was caught in the rain in my kilt and then had to sit through the convocation ceremony at Knox College, my alma mater. (see the photos here http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...reunion-84139/ )

During the ceremony I repressed my wet pleats with my backside. Do I need to baste to press them out or can I do it free hand. It is just the very bottom of the pleats that seem to have wandered off. Here are a couple of photos. The middle pleat seems to be the worst as it seems to have twisted a little.
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Do you have a garment steamer, or an iron that can shoot a good shot of steam without touching the fabric? You might try hanging it and steaming it first, see if you can re-establish the originally pressed lines.

i wondered about that Sydnie. I do not own a steamer presently (although I do have a steam iron). Perhaps this weekend I will look into a steamer. Thanks for the suggestion

A steamer does not have to be expensive. I Picked one up a while back for $19.95 USD, have used it several times and it works like a charm. I don't know if they all do but mine says to always use distilled water.

Most steamers recommend it, I think. I grew up in an area with EXTREMELY hard water, and if you didn't use distilled water in irons and the like, they wound up being annual purchases. Even if they keep steaming, irons and steamers that you don't fill with distilled water will eventually scale up and start spitting out wee nasties all over whatever you're pressing.

You need to check the manufacturer's recommendations for what type of water to use.

Rowenta brand, for example, states NOT to use distilled water/Reverse osmosis water, but tap or spring water (depending on your local water hardness).

Explanations range from temperature concerns, to the sensors needing some minerals to work right, to corrosion (distilled water is very corrosive over time).

As for scaling up, just like ANY tool, your iron needs maintenance, too. Check the instructions for how to clean it (usually, instructions say no soap, no wires brushes. I use a plastic abrasive pad and it works just fine.)

Your pleats look pretty well creased. It might be that you'll need to press the lower part of the kilt flat again and baste the pleats back into position before trying to press new creases into them.

Don't forget to put a piece of cloth between your kilt and the iron.

Well, thank you one and all for your advice. Deirachel, you are correct; I picked up a Rowenta hand steamer on the weekend and it does indeed dissuade you from using distilled water. I must say it is my new favourite toy. It did a nice job of taking the diagonal crease out of my centre pleat; which was the most offending of all the mess. Once I had done that, however, I still came to the conclusion that basting is the best option. Unfortunately the most offensive deviation is in the last sett of the pleat, and I can't hold them in place while I steam. So I'm going to baste and press.

QUESTION - since the kilt has not been laundered, and the majority of each pleat is still in line, is in necessary to baste in three sections or would one line of basting stitches at the very bottom of the kilt be sufficient?

Tess, thanks for the reminder about a pressing cloth.

For "holding in place while you steam," small plastic spring-loaded clips are handy. Not strong enough to leave a dent in the cloth, just enough to stabilize while you steam. Riverkilt speaks of hanging kilts with pleats clipped and a small fishing weight to keep them straight.

As for how many lines of basting -- how big is your pressing surface? The weight of the kilt hanging off either side of pressing surface can pull pleats out of alignment as you try to press them. The more basting, the less fiddling and mis-pressing. It is time spent doing one or the other.

I was thinking of laying the kilt on a table to press (on top of a couple of towels) so I shouldn't have any problem with my hangover. :rofl:

I think I'd put in two lines, one at the bottom and one a few inches up.

Then, I will too. Thanks Barb.