How's that for a thread title?

I had originally started this thread in the "Contemporary" forum, but I guess it actually belongs here.

If you recall, Alan H challenged the membership to make a PV tartan box-pleat using the X-kilt instructions. Well, here goes my first attempt. I'm building this as a hiking kilt, so light weight and washability are essential. I also plan to use a new strap technique (well, it may not be new, but I've never seen one like it) that is designed for comfort underneath my backpack belt and is all-synthetic for worry-free washing and wear on the trail.

I ordered 2 meters of PV in Thompson Camel from Celtic Croft for this project. Here is the fabric after it arrived. I joked that I ordered it to match the dog and some folks thought I really did. Actually, I just liked the colors, but after seeing it I have to admit that it really does match the dog pretty well. I'll have plenty of fabric left over to make Fred here a matching collar and neckerchief.




After weeks of getting all the other projects out of the way I've finally gotten started. Here I am ironing in the edges of the box pleats. I'm an outlaw and make kilts without using any straight pins.



Here are all 14 pleats ironed in, ready for the waist-to-fell tapering. Total time for marking and pressing, about 1.5 hours. Each peat is 2" wide (sett is 6".......Measure the sett, divide by 3, that's how wide your pleats will be ) PV really presses well.



My wife commented that I'll look like I have a lawn chair strapped to my bum, but I really like the contrasting bands, and the black and white pattern fashing between the pleats when I walk should look pretty nifty.

That's all I had time for today. Tomorrow the sons and I will head over to Charlotte for the first Highland games of the season. Clan Donad is the honored clan, so we'll be there flying the colors! Next steps will be to machine-sew the box-pleats together along the tapers and then get the waistband and binding attached.