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?