Disappearing A-line

[Elf]

I freely admit that I continually challenge my limits in the DIY department. Every sewing project is expected to be a learning experience. My latest kilt (friend to take photos not yet found) has fulfilled that point in spades. Particularly perplexing is that the right side of the under-apron wants to roll into the inverted pleat on a line straight to the sett. The pressed fold of the A-line rolls under and springs the under-apron and consequently the over-apron edge outward a tad. It was not enough to prevent my friends from being impressed with the kilt at the May Day dawn dancing last week, but still the mystery disturbs me. Any solutions other than just let it be? Should I re-press it where it wants to lie?

[sydnie7]

What fabric did you use? Some take better than others to the "skewing " that an A-line requires. . .

[Pleater]

I have the opposite problem, the apron edges roll outwards.

Lifting the inner fold above the straight and level pulls it back into place - making a slender triangle of fabric visible.

If you lower the inner fold that should counter the inward roll and push the outer fold back into place.

You can see the principle if you take a sheet of paper and draw a line / - across it. Hold the edges and bring your hands together to fold the paper into a U. Move your hands vertically, one up and one down and there will be a point where it skews to make the line vertical.

If the alteration at the top results in the lower part of the plear pushing out then a dart in the inner edge to counter the push will sort it out.

The problem arises due to trying to wrap a multitude of curved surfaces in a flat plane of fabric.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Elf]

Thank you all. I will try to puzzle this out. I'm sorry I don't know who wove the tartan. Perhaps an search of the shipping form may say. As always, the simple answer was blocked from my mind proportionate to my exasperation. Thank you for helping me see clearly.

[Barb T]

My advice would be to just re-press it where it "wants" to fold. My experience is that the taper on the underapron edge needs to be smaller by half and inch or more than the tape that you need on the apron edge. If you make the taper too wide on the underapron edge, it just wants to fold at a smaller taper.

And, actually, if I'm making a kilt for someone I can actually fit a kilt to, I don't press either the apron edge or the underapron edge until I've tried the kilt on to see where it "wants" to fold. That way, I get it right, and I can take the basting out and re-do it if it's not folding in the right place. If I'm making a kilt for someone else, that isn't typically possible, but every body shape is different, and it's hard to predict what will exactly be right.