DIY kilting - Pleat math

[ggibby]

SO, my first own-make kilt went well. I had 7 yards to work with, so I pleated the middle first, then measured out the aprons. from that, I know what to avoid and how to proceed. Thought I was ready to solo. Got my blindstitch foot, my lockstitch foot, plenty of #80 needles and pretty thread to match.

But the next was a challenge.

Had a little less than 2 yards of plaid around, and I just kind of freehanded it. Didn't measure much. The end result isn't exactly the best looking garment o' the glen.

Is there a rule of thumb for pleat quantity and dimensions? A good pleat seems to have at least 1" more 'run' than 'return', so a '7" pleat' would run 4" deep with a 3" return.

With 126 inches of fabric
Subtract 16"x2 32" for aprons
Leaves 94"

Should I do 10x 9" pleats?
9x 10" pleats?
13x 7" ?
Or maybe just one... how many pleats does a 'real' kilt have?


By the by, are there enough crazy DIY kilters to justify a separate forum?

[bubba]

How many pleats and how wide depends on the repeat of the sett. The bigger the pattern the fewer pleats. Then if you pleat to the stripe each pleat will use less fabric.

[ggibby]

Thanks, Bubba!

But there is a practical formula as to how many pleats and thus what size will work, right?

I know the 9x 7" approach didn't work...

[Miah]

I am not "in the know"
Here is the Stats on a bear kilt maybe it will give you an idea

6 yard kilt
Poly Viscose
Waist-37
Hip-44
Length-24
24 pleats - 2.75" deep

[MDR-V300]

ggibby:


First, here's how the calculations basically go.
The smaller your pleats, the more fabric you'll use.
Your aprons are using up 32", but theres more to allow for than just those. You need about 36" for the apron side hems and assorted fiddling. That's got you down to 184" left out of your original 7 yards. I'm assuming you've got about a 44 inch waist, which leaves you with 28 inches to cover with your pleats.

With a 1" pleat, you'll have to do [28/1]= 28 of them, and that will use up [28 * [6"sett+1"advance]] = 196" which is more than you have left.
So you know that they've got to be at least a little bit larger than 1", or you'll run out of fabric.
At 1.5" pleats, you'll use [28/1.5]~19 pleats, and [19 * [6+1.5]]= 142.5" of fabric, which will work.


You'll find that your tartan has some natural 'break' points in the repeat. Say your pattern repeats every 6 inches. Try taking some chalk and dividing one 'square' up in different ways.
Try 3 2" divisions; try 6 1" divisions; try 4 1.5" divisions. This will give you an idea of how each will look. Pick the style you like and play with it a little bit.
See if you can make divisions that are equal but that line up nicely with the pattern of the kilt [to help you do each one right and consistant].

Now once you decide on that, it's time to pleat. I know that this isn't how it's always done, but I press my pleats [with a press cloth] BEFORE I sew them. That way I can make sure that things look okay, and it really helps to keep your stitching straight.

You know what? I'm just going to send you to
Here
and here
, so let me know if you have more questions.

[ggibby]

Thanks, MDR!
The trick is, I only have 126 inches of fabric to start with, and the plaid pattern be damned I want the thing to hang right.

This will be my third kilt making and the process I've got OK. Without my blindstitch foot, though, I'd not even try.

As of the moment, I think I got it. Through tinkering and consulting the other kilts I have, especially my USAKilt, because Rocky has locked down a simple, clean and quick design I really envy.

That's my task right now- get good enough to knock out a new kilt in about 4 hours. Think I'm getting there.

-G

[bear]

Thanks, MDR!
The trick is, I only have 126 inches of fabric to start with, and the plaid pattern be damned I want the thing to hang right.

This will be my third kilt making and the process I've got OK. Without my blindstitch foot, though, I'd not even try.

As of the moment, I think I got it. Through tinkering and consulting the other kilts I have, especially my USAKilt, because Rocky has locked down a simple, clean and quick design I really envy.

That's my task right now- get good enough to knock out a new kilt in about 4 hours. Think I'm getting there.

-G

ggibby,
"plaid pattern be damned" doesn't work. If you tell me the size of the sett, or pattern, I can give you the exact pleating pattern in several options of pleat size. If you tell me the tartan, I might be able to help further.
Measure the sett. If it is a 5" sett, you could get 4 pleats per sett that were 1.25" wide.
Or 5 pleats per sett that were 1.00" wide.
Or 6 pleats per sett that were .83" wide.
Put a full sett inside the pleat to make the pleat pattern match the tartan. Then measure the pleat width you've decided on. (Try to use the lines on the tartan to guide you, or you'll be measuring all day long!)

With 126 Inches, first subtract your hip measurement. 126 - 32 = 94".
Now minus the first and last pleat, which are doubled. If the sett is 5", minus 20".
That leaves you with 74" for the pleats. 74" divided by 6" (5" for one sett + 1" of the pleat showing) = 12.3 pleats. Each pleat will be 2.5 " deep with 1" showing.

Hope that makes sense.

[The Wizard of BC]

I found a site when I was first starting out and found it helpfull.
May I suggest you try looking at www.scottishdance.net/highland/makingkilt.html
This assumes you are making a tartan or plaid kilt.
If you are making a kilt from a solid color you can contact me at service@freedomkilts.com and I will give you some hints I use when making a Freedom Kilt.
Good luck--and make it sew.

Steve Ashton

[MDR-V300]

Thanks, Bear for responding to the exact situation with more clarity than I'd be likely to muster.

And ggibby, the most important thing to remember is that without paying attention to the pattern and using at least one sett per pleat, you'll end up with something that will look... less than ideal to say the least. And skimping on the depth of the pleats makes the end product much less fun to wear.

[and just a note based on the 'run and return' language of your first post and that of my own: I think we're starting pleating at different ends of the kilt ]

[ggibby]

Thanks Bear!
That last bit in your post was exactly the math I've been looking for. My first kilt was a solid pattern, so working to the sett is new to me, but getting the numbers down is the first step.

And the cloth is not Tartan. It's a remainder from a Ralph Lauren shop, of all places. Big blocky plaid I think intended for couches and curtains. Who said Scots are fashion plates? Much thanks!

[and just a note based on the 'run and return' language of your first post and that of my own: I think we're starting pleating at different ends of the kilt ]

Quite possibly. I have the habit on many projects of working from angles most people don't see. Sometimes a problem, maybe a blessing. Drives my Dad round the bend if he tries to 'supervise' too closely. I am pleating from the Inner Apron end toward the Outer.

As usual, the X Men are there to help a fellow.

X Marks aye!