US Marine Memorial Tartan Advice (Sett or Stripe)?

**Dixiedog** · 27th December 11, 02:48 PM

To anyone who currently wears, or any Kiltmakers that make, the Marine Corps Memorial Tartan Kilt... Please HELP !!! I am purchasing a new kilt in the Marine Memorial Tartan and I have a question? I am having a kilt made from 8 yards of 16 oz. Marine Tartan and I have the choice between pleating to the Sett or the Stripe. I know that the Military pleats to the Stripe but it can also be pleated to the Sett if I would like. My question is, does anyone have any pictures of Marine Kilts pleated to the Sett and to the Stripe or can anyone recommend which way would look better than the other. I would like to have it pleated to the pattern that will have the most number of pleats vs. the other (30 pleats vs. 18 pleats). I wear a size 40-42 inch waist. Please help... any advice will be appreaciated.

Thanks...

**KenB** · 27th December 11, 03:18 PM

IMHO a military box pleat is my preference. However, maybe Mr. Newsome and/or some of the kilt makers in here could offer their experience and opinions on which way to proceed.

**Chas** · 27th December 11, 04:32 PM

One of my all time favourite tartans.

U.S. Marine Corps

STA ref: 975
STWR ref: 975
Designer: Hall/MacLeod
Tartan date: 01/01/1986
Registration date: This tartan was recorded prior to the launch of The Scottish Register of Tartans.
Category: Military
Restrictions: None
Registration notes: Designed by Bob Hall of Tallahassee, USA and Ruraidh MacLeod of Auchtermuchty and a member of the Scottish Tartans Society. For the US Marine Corps which was founded in 1775 by the Scot John Paul Jones. Does not have official U.S.Marine Corps sanction but is sometimes sold as 'U.S. Marine Corps'. Said to be exclusively woven for the Marine Corps Historical Foundation. One of a series of US Military tartans woven by the Strathmore Woollen Company. Sample in Scottish Tartans Authority's Dalgety Collection. Also now woven by Lochcarron (Sept. 2004).

If it were me me, I would pleat to the sett - just to show off the tartan.

Regards

Chas

**The Wizard of BC** · 27th December 11, 06:29 PM

I have a bolt of the Leatherneck Tartan in my shop and I am currently working on a full hand-sewn kilt for myself from some of it. My goal is to make a full hand sewn Tank aka TAoK but with pockets.

I also have a 42" hip so my kilt will have 25 - 1" pleats. If I were to pleat it with 3/4" reveal pleats the kilt would have 33 pleats. 33 pleats in this size, with this Tartan, would require 9.3 yards of fabric.

I chose to pleat my kilt to the gold stripe. The back of this kilt will be almost solid gold. Probably not the choice of most members on the forum as it will be very bright and striking.

If you can wait a day or two I will pleat up some of this fabric a few different ways and post the pics here.

Right now I have a house full of guests so will not have a lot of kiltmaking time till the end of the week.

**KenB** · 27th December 11, 06:34 PM

Can't wait to see the pics of your pleating arrangement.

**Riverkilt** · 27th December 11, 06:39 PM

I think if you search for "Leatherneck" you'll find a few threads with pics.

Here's my hand sewn Leatherneck tartan kilt pleated to the sett. I wanted to try the military box pleats, and my kiltmaker is trained to sew them well, but she suggested I not do that - a bit much. And she's a Marine wife and mother.

**Dixiedog** · 27th December 11, 07:52 PM

WOW Guys !!! So many ideas for one Kilt... THANKS !!! Steve.. I'll hold off on my order like you said... I really would like to see that Pleat to the Gold Stripe too. I didn't think that it was possible to Pleat to the Gold Stripe and still get 33 pleats out of only 9.5 yards of tartan as the Sett of the Marine Tartan seems so BIG. But I'm really looking forward to seeing what you can do with this Great Tartan design. Many Thanks to All...

**Spartan Tartan** · 27th December 11, 09:51 PM

I say order 2 kilts. One pleated to the sett, the other to the stripe. Problem solved

**xman** · 27th December 11, 09:56 PM

Pleating to stripe will always give you more pleats than to sett, but that's not always the best thing. It depends on the sett. I think Ron's Leatherneck to sett looks fantastic and that's probably what I would go for, but I, like you, also want to see what Steve does.

**Mickey** · 27th December 11, 10:03 PM

Check here for some shots of the tartan pleated to stripe by our own flyrod6057. Personally, I think it is quite striking.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...rst-try-70247/