Kingussie pleating

**tr.fiddler** · 22nd January 14, 09:44 PM

I've been searching through X-kilt for the past couple nights looking for info about Kingussie pleating. I am particularly interested in learning about reverse Kingussie. Yet, I'm still attempting to visualize it and I'm tired of wading through search results that at best have only presented fuzzy pictures of the center back. Would someone here please be so kind as to point out some info of the overall pleating of reverse Kingussie pleating? I understand that the centerback is a reverse box pleat and that one has to be careful about not having the pleats bunch up around the centerback. But what I'm not finding info about is how to start off the pleats from the aprons. Any tips on doing reverse Kingussie is welcome actually. And yes, I have been reading Barb's book. Thank you Barbara and Elsie for such a fine treatise.

One of my kilt making projects is to make a reverse Kingussie kilt for hiking in brambles and dense forest. The design seems to be best for snag-less hiking through the thorny brush that I frequent on my quest for blueberries each season.

**Hawk** · 22nd January 14, 10:01 PM

I believe Steve, Rocky and Barb might be answering you with a more clear example and description.....

Hawk

**Downunder Kilt** · 22nd January 14, 10:05 PM

Here is a old thread re the making of a denim one, complete with photos, hope it helps
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ie-kilt-45863/

Here is another one by Sydnie7 who is still an active member of XMTS
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...verse-k-40446/

**ratspike** · 22nd January 14, 10:49 PM

Doh! I had a revK all laid out this morning. Sadly, now it's a completely sewn up kilt and not much good for showing how the pleats are laid out.

Have you checked out the revK addendum to the X kilt manual? It starts around page 50 and covers things pretty well. On the final page you'll find a diagram for laying out the pleats.

**Pleater** · 23rd January 14, 04:33 AM

I have been making all my kilts in this style for some time now.

The process is actually fairly simple with a patterned material once you have the fabric measured and know what size the kilt has to be. If I am working with two or more strips of fabric I usually leave the centre back unsewn until after the pleats are sorted out.

First sort out the aprons, pin the inner shaping - approximate the under apron pleats and measure how much fabric is available for the pleats. The centre back box pleat needs to be wider than the other pleats, as wide as your sacrum - it stops it creeping up on you. Once you see the approximate size it can be adjusted so that the centre folds are correctly placed to show the correct part of the pattern, the stripe or part of the sett so as to conform with the other pleats. You can then make the outer folds of the rest of the pleats in each direction around to the under apron pleats. Once you know how many folds you have you can calculate the exact size of the pleats visible at the hip level and then check that you do not lose an important line in the pattern when the pleats are tapered into the waist.

The RK is indeed just the thing for going through scrub and heathland as the pleats are feathered on both sides.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Pleater** · 23rd January 14, 04:52 AM

These might help - the pattern is an awkward one, not the easiest to pleat, but it shows one of the trial pleatings.

**Pleater** · 23rd January 14, 05:10 AM

This is the edge of the apron, on the left and pleats to a stripe, but different ones so it is between to the set and to the stripe. It is just roughly pinned at the top but to the approximate size for the hips, to see how it looks. I don't pin at the hip level before deciding the final pleating so there are no pin marks from experiments.

**Barb T** · 24th January 14, 04:26 PM

Here's a diagram that illustrates the difference in types of pleating:

**tr.fiddler** · 25th January 14, 08:43 AM

Thanks for the replies. I believe I understand how the center back goes. What I'm still trying to understand is how the first pleat next to the aprons should go. How do I figure out how deep to make the first pleat next to the aprons? Should they both be identical depths or should the one next to the outer-apron be deeper than the one next to the under-apron or vice-versa or something else altogether?

A little more background: whilst out in the woods, I've been dissatisfied with the mainstream clothing available for wear in the woods. Pants chaff and shorts have their own issues, usually both are made of a fabric far too thin to be comfortable, warm or durable and their waistbands are just too low for strapping over a waistbelt of a backpack. So, I decided a kilt would probably be best. Then, I thought about how the pleating should go. After searching through many posts here on XMarks, lo and behold, I find there's a name for what I had already visualized- reverse Kingussie. It was a happy find.

**Barb T** · 25th January 14, 08:50 AM

It's always helpful to make the first pleat next to the apron and underapron fairly deep (4.5-5" or so) in order to give you "walking room". But, if you are working with tartan, how much you actually put there will be determined by the sett, which is governed by which stripe you pick for the center, how big the apron is, and what tartan elements are in the pleats. If you're using solid color fabric, this isn't an issue, of course.