Pleating advice

[Mipi]

Please see my photo of 2 possibilities on pleating.



My first choice was pleating to red stripe, but it's 1.8cm wide and I would run out of material (6m). If I take something in the range of 2.0 to 2.1 cm it's about the right, but then I get red stripe surrounded with black, which I don't think it's OK.

The second choise is giving me more flexibility on pleat dimensions. It would be nice to see dark kilt on back side, flashing red while walking. But then, what shell I put in the center of apron in this case?

What are you kilt masters think? Or maybe I should organize the polling?

Many THX!

[meinfs]

My humble opinion:

It would seem better to pleat to a stripe. The second set of pleats in the picture (with no stripe) looks unusual to me because it's neither pleated to sett nor stripe. If you like the dark look with a burst of red when walking, then you can perhaps at least pleat to the white/yellow stripe near the edge of the pleat (with the red hidden right at the edge).

[The Wizard of BC]

My first comment is that the width of your pleats will be determined by how much fabric you have not by how wide the Tartan pattern is. The Tartan pattern (The Sett) will determine how deep each pleat will be.

In general to make a kilt from a given amount of fabric you widen or narrow the pleat width to get the correct size.

My second comment would be that, in general, when pleating to the Stripe, you try to find a element in the Tartan that has a strong vertical component.
Using the example of the black sample you give will result in a kilt that has no vertical element and only horizontal ones. This can sometimes result in what we call "The Dread Lawn Chair Effect". It will look like you have been sitting in a plastic lawn chair.

The Stewart Black Tartan and others like it usually only have two really good pleating options. To the Sett and To the Red Stripe.

[Aldisimo]

I'm planning a project for the next week or so and am thinking about how to pleat it. Having seen the dreaded lawn-chair effect referenced more than a few times, I realize that I'm not sure what it really means. Is this an example? How about this?

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

My humble opinion:

It would seem better to pleat to a stripe. The second set of pleats in the picture (with no stripe) looks unusual to me because it's neither pleated to sett nor stripe. If you like the dark look with a burst of red when walking, then you can perhaps at least pleat to the white/yellow stripe near the edge of the pleat (with the red hidden right at the edge).

I personally agree with this option. Then you put the red stripe (flanked by the white/yellow stripe) in the center of the front apron.

I pleated my first kilt (for my son) to "no stripe", and I think it looks just fine. Therefore, as second choice I would choose your second choice, just because it's unusual.

I like unusual.

Be well,

[Spc. Scott]

At first glance I thought that pleating it to no stripe looked very neat. I was imagining how well the red would flash while walking.

After reading what the Wizard had posted I have to give it at least a second thought. But if you can avoid the "lawn chair effect" I think it would be very unique.

Just my thoughts...as muddled as they may be.

[Pleater]

I used a fabric like that (from what I can see it is identical) for one of my early kilts, and pleated to the white stripe within the red.

I remade it once I lost weight and actually did not like it with a narrower pleat that made the pleats look to be all red. The darker edging gave more impact and I put it away to rethink and remake at a later date.

Anne the Pleater

[turpin]

The first example linked above actually looks great on the Isle of Skye tartan (I chose that after seeing the pic you linked to for my own IOS). The "lawn chair effect" is subjective and varies in intenity depending on the tartan. I think with the Black Sewart it would be especially pronounced due to the high degree of contrast between red and black.

[Alan H]

I purposefully pleated my X-Marks tartan kilt "to no stripe" for several reasons, but that does give the "lawn chair effect". It's just that I don't think it looks bad on this kilt. NOw, with Black Stewart, not so sure.. The F-H.C.A.G's little pleated miniskirt that I made for her from the Lindsay tartan is also pleated "to no stripe" and I will almost certainly pleat my "soon-to-be-made Lindsay 6 yard" to "no stripe". In general I think the "no stripe"option looks best on more muted tartans..

[pdcorlis]

I really think Turpin and Alan have it right - muted, lower contrast tartans can work pleated to "no stripe" - just look at all those coveted IOS kilts out there pleated that way. The higher the contrast the more pronounced the dreaded "lawn chair" effect becomes.

So what's so wrong with the lawn chair effect? Horizontal lines in the general hip area are not our friends...