How to make box pleats!

[Seaforth Piper]

"Box pleats are cheaper"? Howja reckon that? I've been doing them for a while now (which loosely translates as "Far too #@*** long...) and it's only this week that I've managed to do-up a military box-pleat in the same time that I can do a knife-pleat (12 hours, in 3 x 4-hour sessions). I lay out the aprons and apron pleats and do the usual calculation of number/size of pleats. I then chalk the width of each pleat at seat, hip and rise. then I baste and press each box pleat before sewing them up. This works for pleating to the stripe - I wouldn't want to box-pleat to the sett. this is hard to describe without demonstration or photos, but I hope it makes sense to you.

A Guid New Year tae one and A'

[Tattoo Bradley]

"Box pleats are cheaper"? Howja reckon that? I've been doing them for a while now (which loosely translates as "Far too #@*** long...)

I think the "cheaper" is in reference to a 4 yard box-pleat like Mike Newsome tailors. So, half the fabric = less cost. I assume this was what he was getting at...

[Angus]

"Box pleats are cheaper"? Howja reckon that? ...
...and it's only this week that I've managed to do-up a military box-pleat in the same time that I can do a knife-pleat ....This works for pleating to the stripe - I wouldn't want to box-pleat to the sett.

You'll hafta forgive me, I'm not very eloquent and dont do a good job of getting my point across but I'm gonna try anyway so here goes.....

Box pleats and military box pleats are two different animals . The mil-box. will use as much maybe more cloth than a regular knife pleat cuz thats what it is with the last inch of the knife pleat folded backwards in on itself.

Regular box pleated kilts are simply a Z joined by a mirror image of itself to form the box. No extra cloth is needed (or wasted by cutting out the fell). Each box has a full sett of cloth in it and is 1/3 the width of the set. Also only a certain few tartans can be box pleated to the sett, most are impossible. Read Mr. Newsomes site to get all the good info on the box pleat, he explains it alot better than I.

[way2fractious]

Assuming that my pics, as bad as they are, are better than paragraphs of words...

Here is Weathered Ferguson 16 oz in the beginning of box pleat layout. Note that this 8 1/4 inch sett does "pleat to the sett."



The pleat stitching is accomplished in almost the same manner as for a knife pleat, the exception being not to fold in the next pleat first and catch it in the stiching.



What to do with the overlap produced by the tapering on the inside of the kilt? The answer is, Nothing. Overlap it either direction; baste it in place; catch the tops of the pleats at the waist into the waistband so they don't go anywhere. The little "strips" of 5 fabric-thicknesses are not bulky or noticeable.



A box pleat kilt is a symmetrical garment. The "deep pleat" under each apron is simply an extended box on each hip.



I started with 4 yards of double width material, and only used half of it (4 yards of single width) to construct this kilt. That means I could make another one exactly like the first one; or, two for the price of one 8-yard tank. It "looks" very clean. I've never had anyone mistake it for anything other than a kilt. Its lighter weight is perfect for our mild climates, but the 16 oz cloth is heavy enough on its own to prevent fly-away.

Hopefully, this answers a few of the questions asked above.

w2f

[Angus]

W2F, pictures are always worth a thousand words.

[JimB]

W2F, you do good work!
I have some material that I've been thinking of doing to the sett but I didn't think about a box pleat until now. I think it may be the right way to go with it.
Thanks!