Machine sewn pleats - fell to waist or...

[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.