"Flipping" pleat

**sydnie7** · 12th March 09, 07:55 AM

Steve, that's an interesting post about steeking a machine-sewn kilt. I had thought about doing it, but decided that the thread in a machine-sewn horizontal line would be under too much stress, and tend to break at random points. My machine does have several types of "stretch" stitch pattern, but talk about a panty line! I'll have to do some experimenting on this. . .

**Tartan Hiker** · 12th March 09, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by sydnie7

but talk about a panty line! I'll have to do some experimenting on this. . .

But there's nothing wrong with hand-sewing the steeking just like you'd do with a trad-made wool kilt.

**Bugbear** · 12th March 09, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Tartan Hiker

But there's nothing wrong with hand-sewing the steeking just like you'd do with a trad-made wool kilt.

Yes, and I am now a believer in steeking. You can't support a non ridgid, hanging strip, like a pleat, at only one point part way down, especially when it's tapered above that point, with out distorting the angle of the pleat. In other words, you have to anchor both pleat edgesthe, inside and out, at about the same place, fell bottom and steeking line, to insure the pleat has an equal center of ballence at the anchor points.

**sydnie7** · 12th March 09, 02:08 PM

OTOH, like other contemporary kilts I've seen, I sew through all the layers when sewing pleats from fell to waist. This means that pleat folds are sewn vertically where they underlap the next pleat. For example, with a 2-inch reveal and a 3-inch pleat depth, that 3-inch fold is going to have 2 vertical lines of stitching: one at its own fell attachment, and another 2 inches away at the next pleat's fell attachment. I think that has a similar effect as steeking, no?