Minimum depth of a deep pleat

[Sean Wilson]

All the deep pleats on the kilts I've bought or made vary in depth from 8&1/2 inch to 11 inch before they are folded to make the pleat which hlves this measurement. In TAoKM Barbara says the minimum width of tartan from apron edge to edge of first pleats should be 9 to 10 inch (again before the tartan is folded when making the deep pleat). Which brings me to the question what is the very minimum you can get away with?

Why?

I'm currently making a kilt with Gunn 16oz tartan from Marton Mills. I'd like to make this to the sett with the red stripe centered at the rear, which means I either get a deep pleat of 8 inch (4 when folded) or a ridiculously large deep pleat around 14 to 15 inch deep (7 to 7.5 when folded)... I could have the center stripe green rather than red which would get me a deep pleat at 11 inch (this has worked well for me before)... BUT.... I don't like how the pattern at the edge of the apron from waist to fell looks when placed against the first pleat?

Hope that makes sense... So back to the question... do I go with a better 11 inch deep pleat(5.5 when folded) but a less attractive match where pleat and apron meet OR can I get away with an 8 inch deep pleat (4 when folded) - which looks nicer to the eye where apron and pleats meet?

Did I just repeat myself here - lol?

[Mike in Dayton]

I ran into a similar situation when making a box pleat kilt pleated to the stripe. If I recall the sett was something like 9". To get the desired stripe in the first pleat my deep pleat was going to be shallow or very deep. In Barb's book she explains a "hidden" pleat that can be used to put extra material in a kilt for future alterations. I used that method to hide the excess material that would have made the deep pleat too deep. The downside is you have extra bulk there as the hidden pleat is sewn together so it does not open.

I am sure more experienced kilt makers will comment on the normal depth of that pleat.

Mike

[Sean Wilson]

Yeah, I've made kilts with a hidden pleat in them before, but I prefer not to if there is another option.... of course I could always take the route of pleating to the stripe, which solves the problem but just wondered if the 8 inch was too small if I had to pleat to the sett for a customer.

[Barb T]

The purpose of the deep pleat is to allow you to walk easily without pulling on the pleats. 8" would be skimpy, but you could do it. 14" is way too much - you don't want the folded edge of the deep pleat anywhere near the center of the apron at the top edge of the kilt, and, if it's 14" at the bottom edge, it's going to be more like 16 or more at the top because of taper.

How the edge of the apron meets the pleats is rarely a matter of choice if you want to use the amount of tartan you have. I very rarely take it into consideration because all of the other decisions are more important. Center back has to match center front, if you're pleating to the sett. One center stripe looks a lot better than another. Center front has to match other kilts if you're making a set of kilts or if the kilt is a band kilt. Those are far more important criteria to me.

Because you are pleating to the sett, the center front and back stripes have to match, which trumps any decision about what the apron edge looks like.

As Mike says, I put in a hidden pleat whenever the last pleat is either too close to or to far from the apron edge. I honestly don't see any down side.

[Sean Wilson]

Thanks Barbara. As ever a detailed response...

[Barb T]

I live to serve.... ;-)