Machine sewn pleats - fell to waist or...

[pdcorlis]

I am thinking about sewing up a machine sewn wool tartan kilt - so heres a question from a real greenhorn. Should the pleats be sewn from fell to waist or waist to fell?

Any other tips about machine sewing pleats would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Navyguy]

It doesn't realy matter, just try to have the top thread (the one from the spool, not the bobbin) on the outside. There is no difference in the way the stiches are run.

[The Wizard of BC]

I found by trial and error that it was far better for me to sew from Fell line up to the waist.
The hardest part of sewing by machine was the exact same problem as sewing by hand. To get the pattern aligned perfectly you need to offset the two pieces of fabric as they go under the pressure foot.
How much to offset? Who knows. It will all depend on your machine, the amount of tension you have set, the amount of pull you put on your fabric, and your individual sight picture.

In doing a machine sewn Tartan I still use Barb's book. I do everything exactly the same. The big differance is that my stitches show and hers don't.

[thescot]

YOu guys never cease to amaze me.

Man do I learn stuff here.

[pdcorlis]

Thanks Steve - folks like you and Barb are real treasure around here. Any other sage advice you can share? Tips on keeping the stitching from wandering down the pleat? Anything? Anything?

Thanks Again!

[Alan H]

I always machine-sewed tht X-Kilt fells from the bottom of the fell up to the waist. Why? Dunno...just did.

I ALWAYS sew hand-done pleats from fell to waist, since I learned from Barb's book and that's how she teaches it.

[way2fractious]

I just finished a wool kilt in which I sewed the tapers by machine. Once you have the pleats marked out, then you pin and sew them one at a time. Also, I do NOT fold the NEXT pleat in before sewing as would be done with a handsewn kilt. As Steve mentioned, the pleat edge on top still has to be "scooched" upward a thread or two so when the stiches tighten the stripes will align. One pin just below the fell, two more pins up the taper to the waist, but the fourth pin at the top of the kilt does not taper.

***Practice with some scraps***
See how your machine and your estimating go.
***Practice it again***
Repeat until you know how it works.

Proceeding on, you will pull the pinned area under the presser foot from the back of the machine and sew it back out. Start above the fell and sew two or three stiches in reverse to the fell, then release the reverse and sew on up. This allows you to precisely anchor the fell line. Stitch slowly and evenly two or three threads in from the edge, taking out each pin right before it goes under the foot.

***Practice with some scraps***

Good luck.

w2f