How to tell a professional how to press a kilt

[OC Richard]

What's odd is that myself and several pipers I know have sent their kilts to ordinary dry-cleaners, with no basting and no special instructions, and our kilts have come back pressed correctly.

I think that the original pressing is so clear that it's obvious to them, and they just follow along.

But I've heard and seen horror stories! Here's the worst example I have a photo of, a boxpleated military kilt, and they've pressed them into knife pleats, ignoring the white lines which are supposed to go down the length of each pleat



I had my first taste of pressing a kilt, the kilt I made in Elsie Stuehmeyer's class, last week. Even with all the pleats basted and with a big press and a big ham it's still a lot of work.

Then I had to press one of our band kilts, because it had been hemmed up at some point and I had to take the hem out and re-press it. All I had was an ironing board and an iron! No ham. Jeeze that was a pain! It would have saved time, in the long run, if I had basted it first. It takes forever to iron unbasted pleats right.

[EagleJCS]

When you take you kilt to the cleaners, you can ask them to clean but NOT PRESS it. That's what we do for our rental kilts and most of the time they come back fine without needing to be repressed at all.

Sorry to go OT...

After reading Rocky's note, how many of you thought of a kilt crying out: "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

AHEM. Had to get that out of my system ...

Back OT:

I have sent my kilt to the cleaners a couple of times and it's always come back just fine. I have even pressed my kilt a few times between cleanings. I tried on the ironing board a couple of times. That works for short, simple touch-ups, but to get full-pleat pressing on multiple pleats, I go to the floor (carpeted), lay things out the way I want them, then go to work. Steam iron, wool setting, on the inside. Occasional spritz with some water if necessary for the set-in creases. If it's really necessary, I'll flip the kilt over and go over the outside using a pressing cloth.

[flyrod6057]

I once took a kilt in to be cleaned and pressed. I was very specific in dealing with the gentleman at the counter who assured me that they had plenty of experience pressing kilts properly. Upon receiving the kilt back, I found they they OBVIOUSLY did NOT have experience pressing kilts, as they had ironed the pleats wrong. I'm quite sure they flopped it on an ironing board, splaying the pleats out as they would a skirt. The result was...bad. I learned later about basting the pleats and have had zero issues since.

[unixken]

After reading Rocky's note, how many of you thought of a kilt crying out: "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

Bloody peasant!

[TheOfficialBren]

I did a touch up with my flat iron once. It was good for a quick job.

I cleaned the flat iron and then did a quick run-through the pleats being careful to use low-medium heat and followed the existing pleats.

It was a breeze and looked great!

[Katia]

This is my biggest fear in sending a kilt off to be cleaned. I've heard too many horror stories from fellow dancers... my favorite being one whose cleaner pressed the pleats OUT of her kilt. Another had the dye from the straps bleed onto the kilt*... the cleaners insisted it was already like that. It almost gives me the urge to do the bathtub-wash myself.

*SHOULD I be removing the straps before sending it in for cleaning? I've seen this recommended before. I'm just not sure how I'll get them back ON...

[SorenMacTavish]

Thanks for the advice on basting before pressing. This would make life so much easier. Thus far I have had, I guess you could say, a knack for pressing pleats...so much so that many friends who have owned kilts have asked me to press the pleats....and I typically use the "floor" method. But again, I must say, basting the pleats before hand seems such a time saver. Thanks again all for the wonderful advice.

[creagdhubh]

I've had the majority of my kilts for years and have never sent them off to a dry-cleaner. They have always looked fine to me and I have never thought that they required heavy-duty cleaning. I have indeed pressed the kilts with a Rowenta Professional Iron, of which I bought specifcally for my Highland wardrobe. Besides myself or a good kilt-maker (Barb T., Matt Newsome, Paul Henry, etc), I don't trust anyone with the cleaning or pressing of my kilts. It's simply a risk that I will not take.

Cheers,

[Liam]

I've had the majority of my kilts for years and have never sent them off to a dry-cleaner. They have always looked fine to me and I have never thought that they required heavy-duty cleaning. I have indeed pressed the kilts with a Rowenta Professional Iron, of which I bought specifcally for my Highland wardrobe. Besides myself or a good kilt-maker (Barb T., Matt Newsome, Paul Henry, etc), I don't trust anyone with the cleaning or pressing of my kilts. It's simply a risk that I will not take.
Cheers,

I agree Kyle, that it would be a rare occasion that a kilt should need to go to the dry cleaners, such as spilling something on it or sitting where you shouldn't. Occasionally I have touched up pleats with a steam iron, on the floor, particularly my 4 yd kilts. Use a cloth with your teflon coated PV kilts as it can come off on a hot iron. My wife made me buy her a new iron after mucking one up. I cleaned it up and now have my own!

[creagdhubh]

I agree Kyle, that it would be a rare occasion that a kilt should need to go to the dry cleaners, such as spilling something on it or sitting where you shouldn't. Occasionally I have touched up pleats with a steam iron, on the floor, particularly my 4 yd kilts. Use a cloth with your teflon coated PV kilts as it can come off on a hot iron. My wife made me buy her a new iron after mucking one up. I cleaned it up and now have my own!

Well done, Liam!