Hey Ron... wanna take a guess on someone that tried it?

After I took it apart, I looked at the "engineering" with the pleats and noticed that they're restricted in the hips with the angled sewing. Any variations on the angles will pull the material into "unnatural" places. Also, the sewing in the "sewn-down" areas will fight the new stitches to stretch over the hip area.

It's just not worth it! I wish I had the energy to pull EVERY SINGLE under stitch on my UtiliKilts. It would make them look 200% better, and hang without puckering or curling. That may be a winter project!?