Tailor (new member) asking for help

[ChattanCat]

Truth be told, I'm really always thrown off by pleats. I'm a gents' tailor. I'd post a picture, but I don't know how....

Now wait a minute, I am a gent's tailor and I make manly kilts. Ok, I don't do pants...

[The Wizard of BC]

Cutter,

Point 4 - No! you do not un-stitch all the pleats. You are only going to un-stitch enough to lay out the fabric in the center of the back to be able to see what you are doing.

If I'm not mistaken you need to reduce the size of the waist of the kilt by 15cm. Your pleats have 2.5cm of reveal to each one if measured at the hip line. 15/2.5=6. You are going to remove 6 pleats. Each pleat accounts for 2.5cm of the total reduction.

You un-stitch the pleat where the join is and the 6 pleats on one side of the join. (It is usual to remove the pleats on the outer apron side.)

Then when you have removed the excess material you only need to put stitches back into the three or four pleats that you took out to gain access.

If I could speak to you I could explain this in about two minutes. Do you have Skype? We could do a video call and I could show you the entire process in less time than it takes to type it.

If you don't have Skype send me your phone no. via Private Message and I will call you on my dime.

This entire process should only take three or four hours. Even for the inexperienced. I can reduce a kilt in 2.5 hours if I don't stop for a cup of coffee.

[Cutter]

Thanks Wiz. Sent you a PM.

[Cutter]

Last night, I had a long skype talk with the esteemed member Wizard of BC.
It must be an utter delight to have such a knowledgeable, helpful, and kind member in the forum community.

Wiz, thank you very very much indeed, I learned a lot!

As for the kilt, I now know how to go about altering it. Thank you all for your help.

[The Wizard of BC]

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Did your customer decide to return the kilt to the manufacturer or does he want you to make the alteration?

[Cutter]

That's not sure yet. He felt like just getting it over with and having me do it, but he will decide on monday.

[The Wizard of BC]

The offer to speak to the both of you over Skype is still open.

[Cutter]

That's very kind, thanks. I've told him about that, so we'll see tomorrow what will happen.

[Barb T]

I'm weighing in a little late on this. Maybe the stuff below will help a little. I don't think the problem is a complicated as it seems to be.

Steve has given you very detailed instructions for how to do this. Although he is absolutely correct for tartan kilt, you have a simpler task because you don't have to worry about maintaining center stripes. So, you probably don't have to touch either the apron edge or the underapron edge.

So, here's what I would do. You have to take off the lining, top band, and canvas (which will be something of an issue, as others have mentioned, given that the kiltmaker for some reason used fusible interfacing (a real no-no as far as I'm concerned). Then you'll undo the pleat stitching next to both the apron and underapron. You won't have to take out the apron and underapron edges because this is a solid color kilt. You can also take out two pleats on the underapron side (rather than one on each side, which would require you to make a new buttonhole for the strap - you can get away with this only because it is a solid color kilt). Make the apron and underapron smaller, sew it back together, and you're done. And if it is a trad kilt the way I make trad kilts, you won't have to take out any pleats except the ones you want to remove.

Having said all that, it really is possible to move the buckles/strap enough to make the kilt 15 cm (6") smaller. I've done it for our band kilts. The drawback is the apron is too big in comparison to the pleats, but it is definitely a workable solution. You move the apron edge buckles and the underapron strap. Moving the underapron buckle doesn't do anything. So, move the apron edge buckles toward the center back and stitch them back on, and move the underapron strap toward the center of the underapron, and stitch it back on.

[Cutter]

Hello Barb! Thanks for your input! Certainly a lot less work, this.
Steven, how do you see this when compared to your instructions? It would save me a lot of time, and my client money, but I see it would throw off the symmetry. I'm tempted...