Hi Robert

The method for stitching pleats that I learned is very different from the one that I think you're using and that has been described in the Folkwear pattern, various places on the web, and in Ann Stewart's article in Threads magazine years ago. The method I use is the one that my teacher and co-author Elsie learned when she apprenticed at Thomas Gordon's of Glasgow back in 1947, and it's the one that's detailed in my book.

Basically, I fold and stitch only one pleat at a time, rather than folding and pinning or basting all the pleats first. If you start with all the pleats folded and basted first, there's a whole bunch of material that you have to bunch up and hold when you stitch each pleat. If you fold and stitch one pleat at a time, on the other hand, you have no fabric in the way as you stitch, and you can move your hand along the entire length of the pleat as you stitch. All of the rest of the fabric is out of the way, and it's much easier to stitch accurate, perfectly-tapered pleats. If it would help, I'll dredge up a pic from my book and post it, so you can see what I mean. Actually, my avatar has a pic of pleat-stitching by this method, although the pic is pretty small and may be hard to see.

On the chalk issue - as long as you use wax-free tailor's chalk, the marks come out pretty easily by either slapping the fabric or rubbing it lightly with a wad of tartan scraps.

Cheers!

Barb