Nice example of pleating to the sett

[Barb T]

For those of you thinking about having a kilt made, one of the things that your kiltmaker will ask you is whether you want the kilt pleated to the sett or to the stripe. Some tartans have lots of options. For those, I always pin up a bunch of alternatives, take pics with my iPad, and email the pictures to the person who has ordered a kilt. I've learned over the years that what appeals to me doesn't appeal to others and vice versa!

But on to the main topic of this thread. Some tartans really don't have any options. This is particularly true of tartans with lots of stripes. For such tartans, pleating to the sett is commonly the only attractive option. I've just finished a kilt in Weathered Green Scott, and it is a wonderful example of a kilt that is gorgeous pleated to the sett.



For you newbies, the aim of pleating to the sett is to reproduce the sett across the pleats. So, when the person is not moving and the pleats are smooth, the front and back of the kilt should look the same. In the kilt in the pic, the individual pleats are a little hard to see, but you can see where the diagonal edge of the apron transitions to the straight edges of the pleats. If you look closely, you can see that the pleats are still basted (the zigzag white lines). I put the basting in to hold the pleats for pressing, and I leave it in for shipping. The customer will take the basting out after he gets the kilt.