Pleating question: To The Sett, To The Stripe, To the Sett Again

**Riverkilt** · 6th January 13, 10:37 AM

Have a new Federal Memorial tartan kilt. Rocky scored the fabric and Kathy Lare sewed it up. Tartan is beautiful - designed by Dr. Smith. Honors Union veterans of the Civil War.

So I took pics and posted on the pic thread and Brooke comes back and asks what kind of pleating that is?

Hadn't paid attention...so I stare at it and its different for sure. Can't figure it out. This morning the light hit the pleats just right while the kilt is hanging on the door. Across the back I can now see it was pleated to the sett between two wide red lines, then right down the middle of the back its pleated to the stripe between the next wide red lines, then it goes back to pleated to the sett again.

Once I saw how its done...once I "get it" I love it. But I don't have a name for it. Emailed Kathy but nothing back yet. Wondering if the experts on this forum can help me properly describe it.

This isn't the best photo...but if you look at the wide red lines as the boundaries you can see it. Second pic is the one where Brooke spotted it...

Thanks for any wisdom.

**Riverkilt** · 6th January 13, 10:39 AM

Duh....here's the tartan so you can see the pattern.

**sydnie7** · 6th January 13, 10:56 AM

Sure looks pleated to sett to me . . . with such a wide sett, Kathy had a challenge and met it! The pleated version of sett is a bit wider than actual sett, but it seems to me to represent the sett pattern without any "pleat to stripe" effect. Or maybe I'm missing something that others see.. . having spent some 18 hours in planes and airports yesterday, that wouldn't surprise me.

**davidlpope** · 6th January 13, 11:13 AM

Ron,

I don't understand. Your kilt is pleated to the sett. I'm probably being dense here, but can you explain the issue in greater detail? Then maybe I can understand!

Thanks.

**crash** · 6th January 13, 11:39 AM

Ron, I think it is indeed pleated to the sett but to my eye the sett has been stretched horizontally by making the pleats just a hair wider. Artfully done I think.

**Riverkilt** · 6th January 13, 11:50 AM

Aye, think what is deceiving is its a larger sett than you'd think looking at it. The gold tracks don't run up the center of the front or back. Brooke's question got me curious...the "vision" this morning made it seem to the stripe without the gold tracks...you guys are probably right....thanks for the wisdom for the blind...

**Riverkilt** · 6th January 13, 11:55 AM

Okay, just got an email back from Kathy,

"Hi Ron,

It is pleated to the sett. The larger sett size that was designed did make for wider pleats than usual. When Steve designed it for 4 yard box pleats this happened. Hope this helps."

I think she means Rocky rather than Steve. She just sewed up the Dress Blue Marine tartan from Steve right before the Federal Memorial from Rocky.

But, gotta tell you...with the light just right it looks like it alternates sett, stripe, sett but based on a smaller sett which it really isn't.

I sew, I bleed...but no way could I ever do the math you kiltmakers do to pleat...no way...

**MacMillans son** · 6th January 13, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by davidlpope

Ron,

I don't understand. Your kilt is pleated to the sett. I'm probably being dense here, but can you explain the issue in greater detail? Then maybe I can understand!

Thanks.

I just noticed that the squares that make up the sett are more rectangular in the pleated rear of the kilt than they are in the apron, as if the sett was stretched in the width. It looks great, just not the same front to back, which made me question if was still called "Pleated to the sett" or something else. From reading the other posts, and Kathy's reply, it sounds like this is a common way to pleat large sett tartans. It's a short day ya don't learn somethin'

**Riverkilt** · 6th January 13, 04:44 PM

And I didn't see the large size of the sett, didn't look close...so it looks like the sett is a lot smaller....but if you buy into the smaller (wrong) sett it makes the pleating look "different." Once focused on the large sett its clearly to the sett.

**English Bloke** · 6th January 13, 05:06 PM

Here's a hand sewn, 8 yard MacKenzie Ancient pleated to "Nearly Sett"

First the front apron, also a laaaaaarge sett. This is what it should look like.

Now the pleats. Close, but not the true sett. It's not noticeable from a passing bus though. In fact you'd have to have a passionate interest in the intricacies of tartan composition, not to mention an unnerving focus on the wearers rump, to notice at all. I believe it's all part of the flair of the Kilt-makers art. An expression rather than an exact replication.