Confused....

**Sean Wilson** · 15th January 16, 04:51 PM

So working to Barbra's book, with a wait of 34 and a hip of 36 inch, would the following split be ok?

Waist: apron=17.75" & pleats=16.25"
Hip : apron=18.75" & pleats=19.25"

Or is there a better slip?

**Barb T** · 15th January 16, 04:55 PM

Sorry to be coming late to the party! I missed this thread when it was first posted.

No one has asked whether the sett size is actually over 15". Very few tartans have a sett this big, and the DC Dalgliesh custom weave page indicates that, if they wove the tartan, the sett would be on the order of about 10". It would be great to see a pic of the tartan, with a tape measure, to confirm that you've measured the sett size correctly.

BTW - you don't "attach" an image to a post. You upload your pic to a web site such as Photobucket or Shutterfly, which provides a unique URL for that photo. In your post, type [img] and follow it with the full URL and then add [/img]. No spaces between the tags and the URL. That way, we'll be able to see your pic.

**Barb T** · 15th January 16, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Sean Wilson

So working to Barbra's book, with a wait of 34 and a hip of 36 inch, would the following split be ok?

Waist: apron=17.75" & pleats=16.25"
Hip : apron=18.75" & pleats=19.25"

Or is there a better split?

So, the splits have to add up to the measurements, unless you want to add a little expansion room. 17 3/4 + 16 1/4" does add up to 34. But 18 3/4 + 19 1/4 adds up to 38", not 36". So, is the hip measurement actually 38"??

**Sean Wilson** · 15th January 16, 05:18 PM

Thank you for the reply Barbara... much appreciated. Yes the hip was 38" not 36". I have the photos of sett, and measurement on my tablet, maybe that's the reason I can not upload. I've been successful before uploading photos from my pc so will try on that instead when I'm back home in the morning.

The tartan is from Lochcarron 16oz wool in Wilson Ancient if that helps? The kilt is laid on a bed which i apreciate is less than an ideal surface, I did measure it at 15.5" it may be 15" if measured on a table.

**Barb T** · 15th January 16, 06:12 PM

Will look forward to seeing the pic. Unfortunately, Lochcarron doesn't post sett size on their web site, so I don't have a way of determining the sett except to look at your pic with a tape measure for scale.

In terms of measurements, here's what you have: waist 34", hips 38"

Your splits:
Waist: apron=17.75" & pleats=16.25"
Hip : apron=18.75" & pleats=19.25"

In terms of splits, 1/2" differential between apron and pleats in the hips is small. The normal split puts 1" more in the pleats than in the apron at the hips. The only time I would put only 1/2" differential at the hips is if someone really has a very very flat butt. Most guys with trim waists really need that full inch in order to pull the kilt in to the small of the back. So, here's what I would do:

Waist: apron 17 3/4 pleats 16 1/4

Hips: apron 18 1/2 pleats 19 1/2

But, whenever I make a kilt, I always add half and inch to both waist and hip measurements in order to give a bit of expansion room but then put the buckles and straps on at the actual measurements. A kilt that is even 1/4" too small is obviously too small because the underapron shows. A kilt can be many inches too big and still look OK because the apron just wraps over the pleats and isn't really noticeable.

Barb

**Sean Wilson** · 16th January 16, 06:57 AM

Here's a pic of the front apron with tape measure laid over it. I think as my photo was almost 3MB it was too large to upload... I scaled it down and vola!

sett.jpg

although the double white stripe repeats itself frequently the centre stripe runs through a band of blue (?) not red so I take this as the centre of the sett.

**Barb T** · 16th January 16, 08:53 AM

Yup - that's a big sett. If you have 27 pleats, the kiltmaker did two pleats per sett. Can you post a pic of the back of the kilt?

**Sean Wilson** · 16th January 16, 09:12 AM

It's a huge set - right? Here are pics of the pleats from the rear.

back1.jpg

back 2.jpg

I think I haven't done the pleating justice in the way I have splayed them out.

**Pleater** · 16th January 16, 10:36 AM

That doesn't look like it is pleated to the sett - if it was it would be showing the sett exactly as seen on the front.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Barb T** · 16th January 16, 10:45 AM

With a sett this huge, the kiltmaker would have had to "cheat the pleats". In order to have two pleats per sett, it was undoubtedly impossible to pick up the elements needed to reproduce the sett. So, the kiltmaker picked up pleats that would make a pleasing look and give an overall "look and feel" that would require some scrutiny to see the difference with the actual sett.