Need a Dbl check on my measurements

[Bart_In_A_Kilt]

I would try to use a 3/4" reveal. I have done smaller reveals but 3/4" reveal looks good. Smaller is ok, but you don't have to use all the fabric. Now if you have some left over, what will you do with it?

Yes, but what of the 2" pleat depth ? is that too shallow?

[ChattanCat]

Yes, but what of the 2" pleat depth ? is that too shallow?

I'd go for it.

[meinfs]

Yes, but what of the 2" pleat depth ? is that too shallow?

2" pleat depth is ok. 3/4" to ~1" pleat size ok.

My thoughts: I find that it's easier to pleat tartans than solid self-color fabric because the lines are already there in the fabric! (With solids you have to draw them straight and square.)
This is my workflow for pleating to stripe: I first look at the sett and the lines around the prominent stripe that I plan to pleat to and then from there decide on the edges of the pleat to put the creases into. Once you've decided on the the pleat appearance and therefore its size, then use that pleat size and the pleat section @ hips to calculate how many pleats will fit your pleat section @ hips (in your case 24"), give or take. A similar tartan for me (stewart gray), I ended up having about 30-31 pleats. For my first kilt (handsewn) I had 21-pleats of 1" per pleat.

I hope I'm making sense. Good luck! Looking forward to seeing your creation.

[Barb T]

I agree with Wally about the hips split. I also agree that you don't want lots of little itty bitty pleats. Most of the kilts I made have 23-29 pleats, which gives a nice size at the hips.

Your tartan has a pretty small sett. I'd seriously consider doubling the sett and having 20-ish pleats. Not sure where you got the 8" pleat depth from this. The pleat depth, if you doubled your set, would be just about one sett deep (or about 4"). That's perfectly fine.

Since this is your first kilt, having fewer, wider pleats will be easier (and quicker) to make. That's a plus as well.

[Bart_In_A_Kilt]

I agree with Wally about the hips split. I also agree that you don't want lots of little itty bitty pleats. Most of the kilts I made have 23-29 pleats, which gives a nice size at the hips.

Your tartan has a pretty small sett. I'd seriously consider doubling the sett and having 20-ish pleats. Not sure where you got the 8" pleat depth from this. The pleat depth, if you doubled your set, would be just about one sett deep (or about 4"). That's perfectly fine.

Since this is your first kilt, having fewer, wider pleats will be easier (and quicker) to make. That's a plus as well.

20 Pleats would give me a 1 & 3/16" reveal at the hip with a 4 & 1/8" depth. or so my calculator tells me.

[Barb T]

20 Pleats would give me a 1 & 3/16" reveal at the hip with a 4 & 1/8" depth. or so my calculator tells me.

Yup - that's a little wide for the pleats, but not horrible. The alternative is to have more pleats that are narrower and are 2" deep or so. But you wouldn't be able to use all your tartan. Me, I'd choose the 20 pleats doubling the sett so that you can get as much cloth into the kilt as you have - more swish (and, as the Wizard says, also more swagger and swoon...).

[Bart_In_A_Kilt]

OK... finally some resolution I can live with.... Measure twice, cut ounce as they say.

My Kilt Calc reafirms just what Barb is saying ( like there was any doubt )



and now on to the actual pleates themselves. After blasting around this forum, I came across a few alternative pleating to the stripe with Stewart Black, and I kind of like it.

Mostly because I wanted to bring out some of the secondary colors, and also wanted a bit more "flash in my flash".

So here is a really bad illustration I cut and pasted together in paint to highlight what I'm talking about. Stewart Black guys should get this right away.



Opinions always welcome

[Pleater]

I made a kilt with 50 small pleats - the pattern made me do it, and it is OK but it was the devil to sew and ironing it is not something to be taken on lightly.

If you can get fewer deeper pleats it will be an easier project.

I don't see the large pleats in your calculation - am I missing something?

Traditional kilts have one extra large pleat and two under apron pleats - I usually have just less than double the fabric of a small pleat in them.

Anne the Pleater

[Barb T]

You never really know how many pleats you'll have until you actually lay out the kilt and figure where the apron center stripe will be and where the sett falls relative to the apron edges. It might wind up being more or less than 20 pleats, depending upon how much you have allowed.

Be sure that you test pleat your tartan using the size pleats that you'll actually have at the hips, and do it with the tartan and pins, rather than by scanning and looking at it on the computer. If you choose to use wide pleats, your kilt will look different that the kilts that you show in your post. The only way to tell for your tartan is to actually pin it up. Sometimes what you think you want to do doesn't work at all.

And once you've roughly pinned a half dozen pleats (like what's below), stand back about 20 feet and see what it looks like.