Different looks pleating to the stripe

**Barb T** · 3rd December 11, 09:35 AM

Every once in awhile, I have the opportunity to post pictures of kilts in the same tartan but pleated differently. It's been awhile since I've done it, and I thought I'd do a quick post for anyone new.

When a kilt is pleated to the sett, it looks pretty much the same fore and aft. When it's pleated to the stripe, however, the back can look very different from the front, and that's part of the charm of pleating to the stripe. And different choices can have very different appearances. If you intend to pleat a kilt to the stripe, it's worth pinning up several alternatives and then standing back a ways to see what the overall effect is. Some choices are fabulous, and others are, shall we say, less than felicitous...

I've just finished a kilt for Panache in a piece of Heatherfield tartan that he got from the tartan designer, Rex Tremende. I also happened to make Rex's kilt, and, while they both wanted their kilts pleated to the stripe, they chose different stripes. I've posted the two versions below to show how different they look. Both are fabulous!

You'll also see one of those flukey things that people who make a lot of kilts sometimes luck into. In the first picture above, you'll see that the top band doesn't match the tartan across the top of the underapron. This is normal, because it would be pure luck that the top of the kilt in the pleats was an exact multiple of the sett. But in the second pic above, you'll see that it matches in both the apron _and_ the underapron! Pure luck! I think the last one I made where this happened was the kilt that I made for Matt several years ago. Fun that - he's one of the only people who would be likely to notice and appreciate it!

**Panache** · 3rd December 11, 09:52 AM

Barb,

That Heatherfield is certainly a beautiful tartan and looks wonderful pleated either way. I think that personally I prefer the second pleating style showing that incredible purple stripe. I imagine that Panache fellow must be bouncing up and down in his chair at the breakfast table looking at that photo.

Can't ...

...type

...anymore

chair...

broke...

Cheers

Jamie

P.S. WOW!!!!!

**carlb** · 3rd December 11, 10:00 AM

Gorgeous tartan! My first thought was that I, too, preferred the second pleating, but the more I look at it the more I like the first one. So many tartans seem to emphasize dark colors, that I think it's kind of cool to take an already "light" color pattern and lighten up even more with the pleating.

Am I correct that the first kilt would "flash" some purple from the inside of the pleats? If so, I think I like it even more.

Absolutely beautiful!

**Barb T** · 3rd December 11, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by carlb

Am I correct that the first kilt would "flash" some purple from the inside of the pleats?

A bit, but actually, the purple would be pretty deeply buried in the pleats. "Flash" is best when the contrasting color is right under the edge of the pleat reveal, and the flash is more pronounced when it's lighter inside and darker outside.

**madmacs** · 3rd December 11, 10:49 AM

Both look great Barb... Would we expect anything else from you...

I think the top one has an older feel to it; wheras the lower one still has a large amount of the modern looking colours to it... or at least thats the impression i get from the back at least

I'm guessing the top band working out the way it did is a function of waist size (number and size of pleats) and sett size?

Unusual buckles on the top one too...

**Barb T** · 3rd December 11, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by madmacs

I'm guessing the top band working out the way it did is a function of waist size (number and size of pleats) and sett size?

Unusual buckles on the top one too...

It's solely a function of the length across the top of the pleats and the size of the sett. If the length is an even multiple of the sett size, then the top band will match in both the apron and underapron. Doesn't matter the number of pleats or the size of the pleats.

The buckles are a set that I got from Robert Pel at RKilts. What's really nice are the straps - they are really thick and embossed with a Celtic knot design. Because they are so thick, though, they won't go through the regular rectangular kilt buckles, so he sent me these to go with the straps.