Interfacing material for a PV material

[McMurdo]

I think that the interfacing is to keep sweat from the wool itself, I may be wrong but that was my understanding of it.

[James MacMillan]

I think that the interfacing is to keep sweat from the wool itself, I may be wrong but that was my understanding of it.

This may be right. I just checked my kilts. Wool = interfacing. man-made = none.

Might I suggest a PM to Barb?

[Barb T]

Mmmm, no, the canvas interfacing isn't there to keep sweat away from the wool. I can think of many a hot day of piping when my kilt has been soaked right through to the kilt belt. The canvas interfacing in a trad kilt is there to stiffen the kilt and help it keep its shape. The way the interfacing is fan-folded parallel to the pleats gives the kilt rigidity up and down the body (to keep the kilt from buckling) but allows the kilt to flex easily around the body.

I haven't any idea why PV kilt don't have interfacing. Cost issues, maybe?? Adding interfacing would add to the construction time. But, if I were making one, I'd probably include it for the same reason that a trad kilt has it - stabilization and rigidity (although it wouldn't make any sense unless the pleats were stitched down). What to use? Sew-in Pellon doesn't have the flex of woven hair canvas, but it should work and would be washable. I'd do the same kind of fan-folding with Pellon that I would do with woven interfacing. You could also probably buy a heavy cotton canvas, pre-wash it to shrink it, and use that.

Barb

[ChattanCat]

Mmmm, no, the canvas interfacing isn't there to keep sweat away from the wool. I can think of many a hot day of piping when my kilt has been soaked right through to the kilt belt. The canvas interfacing in a trad kilt is there to stiffen the kilt and help it keep its shape. The way the interfacing is fan-folded parallel to the pleats gives the kilt rigidity up and down the body (to keep the kilt from buckling) but allows the kilt to flex easily around the body.

I haven't any idea why PV kilt don't have interfacing. Cost issues, maybe?? Adding interfacing would add to the construction time. But, if I were making one, I'd probably include it for the same reason that a trad kilt has it - stabilization and rigidity (although it wouldn't make any sense unless the pleats were stitched down). What to use? Sew-in Pellon doesn't have the flex of woven hair canvas, but it should work and would be washable. I'd do the same kind of fan-folding with Pellon that I would do with woven interfacing. You could also probably buy a heavy cotton canvas, pre-wash it to shrink it, and use that.

Barb

I just don't think that a kilt should be without some interfacing above the fell to replace the material and rigidity that will be removed by cutting the pleats. I plan on triming the pleats above the fell and adding some stabilization.

Does Pellon come in different weights?

[O'Neille]

I used hair canvas on my PV St Davids. I didn't cut the pleats out because it is a 5 plus yarder and the thinner PV didn't have much bulk with one inch pleats. I guess I didn't need the canvas but I did it anyway. I'll just dip it in the tub with some woolite when it needs it and hang it to dry. I did consider only using the hair canvas on the aprons but decided that it needs to be anchored to something of substance on the pleats.

I would recommend it. My Clark 8 yard mostly handsewn kilt has hair canvas and a my Hunting Stewart 5 yard does not. I've noticed I can strap my PV kilts with interfacing a little snugger without distorting the tartan or getting that fold in the aprons.

[Tartan Hiker]

Without this layer of canvas the strain of the buckles (or whatever you use for fastening) will strain the pleat stitches. I use a 3" wide strip of plain old cotton canvas in my washable kilts. Wash it several times in hot water so it won't shrink later, and be sure that it is loosely stitched to the pleats and tightly fastened to the inside of the kilt beneath the buckle straps. That way as you cinch down on the straps the canvas is taking the strain and not letting it translate to the pleat stitching.
Think of it like the inside of a hard hat. The harness grabs your head and the helmet just goes along for the ride. In the kilt, you're actually cinching the canvas around you waist and the kilt just goes along for the ride.

[ccga3359]

Without this layer of canvas the strain of the buckles (or whatever you use for fastening) will strain the pleat stitches. I use a 3" wide strip of plain old cotton canvas in my washable kilts. Wash it several times in hot water so it won't shrink later, and be sure that it is loosely stitched to the pleats and tightly fastened to the inside of the kilt beneath the buckle straps. That way as you cinch down on the straps the canvas is taking the strain and not letting it translate to the pleat stitching.
Think of it like the inside of a hard hat. The harness grabs your head and the helmet just goes along for the ride. In the kilt, you're actually cinching the canvas around you waist and the kilt just goes along for the ride.

Interesting, perhaps I shall order all my future kilts lined. Thank you.

[ChattanCat]

Without this layer of canvas the strain of the buckles (or whatever you use for fastening) will strain the pleat stitches. I use a 3" wide strip of plain old cotton canvas in my washable kilts. Wash it several times in hot water so it won't shrink later, and be sure that it is loosely stitched to the pleats and tightly fastened to the inside of the kilt beneath the buckle straps. That way as you cinch down on the straps the canvas is taking the strain and not letting it translate to the pleat stitching.
Think of it like the inside of a hard hat. The harness grabs your head and the helmet just goes along for the ride. In the kilt, you're actually cinching the canvas around you waist and the kilt just goes along for the ride.

The canvas or broadcloth is used to carry the load across the pleats at the back of the kilt. This relieves the pleats from the stress of the belt buckles.
The interfacing is for supporting the pleats in the vertical direction. It simply keeps the pleats straight in the vertical direction.

Wallace

[Kiltman]

The canvas interfacing in a trad kilt is there to stiffen the kilt and help it keep its shape. The way the interfacing is fan-folded parallel to the pleats gives the kilt rigidity up and down the body (to keep the kilt from buckling) but allows the kilt to flex easily around the body.
Barb

Thanks again Barb. I always learn some thing when you speak about kilts.