Kilt #3: Munro Hunting Harris Tweed Box Pleated

[usonian]

There's something about the cold weather and long nights that makes a person want to hole up with a project. I finally got started on this one, after purchasing the fabric over the summer.

The length available was only 2 yards, double width. I knew it would be scant with my hip measurements, but grabbed the fabric anyway because you don't see Harris Tweed tartan "in the wild" very often. After lengthy calculations and several test pinnings, and with advice from this thread I decided to make the underapron from a separate, solid-color piece of fabric - that freed up enough tartan to give me plenty of pleating options. It works out that I'm able to do 9 pleats, arranged to the sett with matching front and back center stripes.

After a false start (I made my pleat template using the wrong measurement for the waist, and had to rip out several pleats and start over) I've got 6 pleats done.


(Photo is a little washed out - this tartan is very dark, and not very "tweedy" looking at a glance. The colors are blended, but so dark overall that it's hard to tell.)

Some observations on working with tweed:

• Looser weave means a little more give than worsted tartan.
• Ripping stitches is nervewracking. Because it's fuzzier than worsted it's much harder to pick out the sewing thread from the fabric, at least on a tartan like this where everything is so dark.
• It's harder to negotiate where to fold and pin the pleat edges because the the looser weave, and softer hand of the fabric.
• If there is a single cat hair in the room, it will find its way onto your tweed.

It's amazing how quickly sewing the pleats goes when you have less than 10 of them. I'd been thinking the fabric I ordered for the underapron would be here by the time I finished the pleats, but at this rate I'll be done with them before it even ships.

[KiltedDixon]

Best of luck! I marvel at your steady hand and well of patience.

[Alan H]

I did something much like this with my Hall tartan kilt...using a piece of solid color dark blue cloth for part of the under-apron. It's not ideal but you gotta do what you gotta do.