Box pleating formula?

**Schultz** · 15th March 06, 07:46 AM

Having just about finished by first knife-pleated kilt and awaiting the fabric for my second (the X-Marks tartan!), I have a question about box pleating. Before I sit and try to figure it all out on my own, I figured I'd ask here first so I don't re-invent the wheel. Is there a special mathmatical formula or process to determine the number of pleats? To my thinking, and I'm probably off, the number of pleats are the same, but every other one is sort of turned "inside out", so there's the illusion of half the number.

Am I on the right track or totally off?

**way2fractious** · 15th March 06, 10:33 AM

Look up the thread started 11-8-05 by Kiltman, entitled "Box pleats." Throughout the thread are discussions, links (especially to Matt Newsome's site), and other helpful stuff. Actually, the number of pleats is very small because the boxes themselves are about 2-3 inches each, depending on the size of the sett you are working with.

Here is the album where I tried to document my progress on a box pleated kilt.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shanna...FfvjEBlmH8bDWY

I finished it in time for and worn on my Valentines Day date with my wife. Good luck. Just holler if you think you need more help.

**Pleater** · 16th March 06, 03:19 AM

Originally Posted by Schultz

Having just about finished by first knife-pleated kilt and awaiting the fabric for my second (the X-Marks tartan!), I have a question about box pleating. Before I sit and try to figure it all out on my own, I figured I'd ask here first so I don't re-invent the wheel. Is there a special mathmatical formula or process to determine the number of pleats? To my thinking, and I'm probably off, the number of pleats are the same, but every other one is sort of turned "inside out", so there's the illusion of half the number.

Am I on the right track or totally off?

No formula - I think - after a couple of tries, that the only thing is what looks right.

I thought that the box pleats should have equally suppressed edges, and made one like that, but Matthew suppresses only one edge, so the box is like a large knife pleat where the fold instead of being held to one side is spread out to form two back folds instead of one. This was actually clearly seen in the 'rehomed' tweed box pleated kilt photographed somewhere on this forum - but I don't know how to locate it, I'm sorry to say.

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 16th March 06, 08:22 AM

Pleater,

This one?

Not sure what you mean about one edge suppressed, but this has a traditional box pleat as described on Matt's site and on the other thread. Maybe it does not look like it because I am holding the pleats out?

toadinakilt · 16th March 06, 08:30 AM

I dunno guys, I think box pleats are my least favorite style of pleat...maybe there's a reason the kilt evolved into a knife-pleat garment...

IMHO, I'll shut up now.

**way2fractious** · 16th March 06, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by toadinakilt

... I think box pleats are my least favorite style of pleat...
IMHO, I'll shut up now.

C'mon, Toad, it's the challenge! What maker of kilts, who gets his/her high from the sensual hand of worsted wool twill, can resist the siren call to experiment with all of the various kinds of pleat systems? I can't wait to get started on the military box pleat discussed elsewhere in the kiltmaker forum!

**Pleater** · 16th March 06, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by KiltedCodeWarrior

Pleater,

Not sure what you mean about one edge suppressed, but this has a traditional box pleat as described on Matt's site and on the other thread. Maybe it does not look like it because I am holding the pleats out?

Yes, that is the photo I was thinking of.

If you look at the sewn edges of the panels, the edge to the left of the seam shows that the vertical line, the grain of the fabric, is being folded into the back pleat, but the right edge is a straight line - you can see the dark lines in the cloth vanishing on the left, but constant on the right.

When I tried to make a box pleat I sewed the two edges so that both were suppressed, and that made it easier to sew and to measure and have equal and matching under pleats. I still have another piece of the fabric to experiment on - the first one, I think, turned into a deeply folded Kinguisse, or did it evolve into the first reverse Kinguisse pleated kilt (so much cloth so little time) with a slightly odd fell. It does fit quite well, but it did not resolve the making of a box pleated kilt - I went off on other tangents after that, and the fabric is probably buried under one of the heaps of partly done kilts which now adorn most horizontal surfaces in the house.