Inspired by the recent discussion of duck cloth x-kilts, I noticed that my local fabric store had #12 duck on sale, for 3.75 a yard. I got four yards of 72" wide, unbleached, undyed stuff. I washed and dryed it a couple times, and it shrank quite a lot (5% width, about 10% length.). I had some time this evening, so I started working on it. Because of the greater shrinkage warp-wise, and it shrank in the second wash cycle, i decided I work with the length of the fabric running vertically. That necessitates cutting out pieces that are the length you want (plus a bottom hem, plus a bit for safety at the top.) In my case, I cut 26", aiming for a finished length of 24".

When I did the red corduroy kilt, I stiched the various lengths of fabric together, and then put pleats in it. Dealing with a 24 foot long piece of corduroy wasn't much fun, so I decided I do it the other way around: put the pleats in the fabric, and then join the pieces. One seam is in the center back, the other two will be just beyond the aprons. those side seams will allow for nearly invisible pockets in front.

I only got the two rear pieces cut, hemmed, pleated, and pleats stiched in, (I need a faster machine!) and the two pieces joined together. (I need an overlock machine. Felled seams in #12 duck are lumpy.) A couple pictures showing the use of the cardboard folding jig I use to make the pleats:





It's just a piece of tag stock (the stuff manilla folders are made of. I use white, instead of buff, because I can see it better, and the writing is easier to read) cut to the width of (depth of pleat + reveal of pleat), with a line drawn at the fold (and labeled "Fold!"). the two halves are also labeled, including the measurement. To use it, you put the reveal side on the edge of the previous pleat, and fold the fabric over the under side to the fold line. Make sure it's even, then press hard, with steam. Repeat. I knocked out the six pleats on each half in about five minutes, including time waiting for the iron to heat back up. You could pin, but pressing is faster, easier, and more accurate. Doing the pleats by actually measuring them takes quite a bit longer.

That's for knife pleats (I'm doing a Rev-K kilt); if you're doing box pleats, like the bog-standard X kilt, you can use a pair of jigs, one for the bottom of the box, and the other for the top.