Newbie pleat stitch question

[scotswelshrunner]

I just received a kilt from UT Kilts on eBay and it is an 8yd acrylic economy in Black watch tartan. I just noticed this morning as I was getting ready to wear it for the first time the it is stitched black thread
about 4" from the bottom all around the pleats. These are not just tack stitches but go all the way around and look difficult to pull if needed. I know about basting stitches but have never seen them so deep and all the way down. Are these basting stitches or ??? I think they are but want to ask before doing anything.

[usonian]

Unless the stitching is holding the pleats closed, that sounds like it could be a machine-sewn hem, which one could expect with an economy-priced kilt. If you look in the "inside"/wrong side of the kilt, is the fabric folded up at the bottom edge, with the black stitches holding it in place?

[scotswelshrunner]

No,it does not. It looks to be stitched as part of the finished kilt, not a stitched pleat.

[scotswelshrunner]

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...t-kilts-78613/
here is a link to pics from my other post

[sydnie7]

Hard to tell from your photos. But if the stitching is holding the pleats down a mere 4" up from the hem, it sounds like "basting" that should be very carefully removed. If it is not holding any pleats down, it could be left in place.

If it were closer to your hipline (fell), I'd call it their version of steeking. Freedom Kilts does this (Steve calls it the "FK pantyline") and it's part of kilt construction, helps keep pleats in place after they have been cut away internally.

Have you considered emailing the maker? They do have a website with "contact us" option. You might suggest that, once the answer is provided, it be added to their currently blank FAQ page. . .

[artificer]

It's a bit hard to tell from the images, but it appears that the stitch runs OVER all of the pleats, essentially holding them all down. Is that correct?

If so I'd imagine that this is some attempt to do a machine-sewn basting. I don't know what the heck else it could be.

it may be the case that the ends aren't backed over or knotted in any way, so that you can unravel it fairly easily, have you checked the ends of the stitch?

ith:


edit: Beat to the punch by sydnie7

[scotswelshrunner]

When I feel all the way to the back of the deep pleat it is stitched. These go all the way from first to last pleat and are tighter than I expected a basting stitch to be. I'll email the seller and ask him.
Seems to me they should come out. But I want to make sure.

[Jock Scot]

Do the stitches look something like these? If they do, they are basting stitches.

[scotswelshrunner]

They look nothing like it at all. These stitches are in black thread and one hardly sees them at all. Things i, when one sits for longer periods the bottom 3" down sticks up slightly,showing there is a stitch. I'll try to take a better photo later when I get a camera.

[scotswelshrunner]

Some new photos showing the stitches:

1364922530399.jpg1364922562559.jpg1364922596507.jpg

As you can see they look like basting stitches but go deep.