Pleat depth spacing preferences?

[way2fractious]

...advice for pleat depth and spacing, and what is most functional with a 2 inch spacing...

My first kiltmaking instructions were pulled off the internet a few years ago. Afterward, I purchased (but never wear) one Utilikilt and examined many others.

The conclusion I reached for making a kilt in most heavy cotton fabrics is that each pleat uses 6 inches of fabric - 2 for the reveal and 4 to tuck under. Below the the hipline (or fell) you will have only three layers of fabric. Above the fell there will be some small overlap as the pleats are tapered to the waist. Not to worry, don't cut it out, just secure the tops of the tapered pleats with the waistband and apply a liner. I have followed this system for about a dozen kilts in canvas, camo, and selected prints, with very satisfactory results.

Another experiment is underway with medium weight black cotton, pleating 1 inch reveals and 5 inches tucked under, in an attempt to add weight and mimic the sway of wool.

Lightweight cotton is not suitable for kilting, in my estimation, SportKilts notwithstanding.

[Alan H]

The tartan you ue will define the depth of pleat. If you're using a solid color, then having pleats with about a 1-inch reveal looks pretty good. 1.5 inches is OK, in my personal opinion, moe than that doesnn't look right. figure it this way...

Me **** is 46 inches around. Without getting into the specifics of "splits" (buy Barbs book and you'll understand) roughly half of that 46 inches is going to be covered in apron, and half is going to be covered in pleats. so if my pleats are 1-inch reveal, that means 23 pleats.....a good number for a kilt.

If the reveal is 1.5 inches, well 23 inches divided by 1.5 = 15.3 pleats....OK 15 and that's marginal. It's OK...it's not BAD, but it's the bare minimum, in my personal opinion.

If you go with a one-inch reveal, then anything less than two inches buried in each half of the pleat is going to make an awfully shallow pleat. So that means each pleat is going to take up...2 + 2 + 1 = 5 inches.

If you were pleating a tartan to stripe, and the sett was 5 inches, then this is how deep your pleats would be. If the sett were 6 inches and you were using a 1-inch reveal, then the buried part of each pleat would be 2.5 inches.

[switchblade5984]

My first kiltmaking instructions were pulled off the internet a few years ago. Afterward, I purchased (but never wear) one Utilikilt and examined many others.

The conclusion I reached for making a kilt in most heavy cotton fabrics is that each pleat uses 6 inches of fabric - 2 for the reveal and 4 to tuck under. Below the the hipline (or fell) you will have only three layers of fabric. Above the fell there will be some small overlap as the pleats are tapered to the waist. Not to worry, don't cut it out, just secure the tops of the tapered pleats with the waistband and apply a liner. I have followed this system for about a dozen kilts in canvas, camo, and selected prints, with very satisfactory results.

Another experiment is underway with medium weight black cotton, pleating 1 inch reveals and 5 inches tucked under, in an attempt to add weight and mimic the sway of wool.

Lightweight cotton is not suitable for kilting, in my estimation, SportKilts notwithstanding.

when does your book come out?

[way2fractious]

when does your book come out?

Hey, wait a minute! If I were to write a book on making contemporary kilts, there would be no time to actually MAKE contemporary kilts.

No, sir, I'm waiting for the book we discussed five weeks ago in your thread on "Modern Kiltmaking Book." That is due out sometime this year, to be published by those who really do know something about kiltmaking and publishing. (My momma din't raise no fool. Some toes are not to be stepped on.) :rolleyes:

[switchblade5984]

Hey, wait a minute! If I were to write a book on making contemporary kilts, there would be no time to actually MAKE contemporary kilts.

No, sir, I'm waiting for the book we discussed five weeks ago in your thread on "Modern Kiltmaking Book." That is due out sometime this year, to be published by those who really do know something about kiltmaking and publishing. (My momma din't raise no fool. Some toes are not to be stepped on.) :rolleyes:

lol!

i just love the instructions you have been giving makes it a little easier to understand