Critique

[Tetley]

One of the main reasons for using a straight piece of hair canvas and pleating it across the back is to give the kilt stiffness parallel to the pleats but allow it flexibility across the pleats. This keeps the kilt from buckling and developing unsightly horizontal rolls in the fell when you're wearing it. You would do this even if the kilt didn't need shaping because the waist and hips were the same measurement. Even in a kilt like that, you'd make the pleats in the canvas.

The lining is structurally less critical, but it's a load easier to stitch both the bottom and top of the lining edges parallel to the grain of the fabric, and it looks better, too.

Now that makes a lot of sense and I can see the reason for doing it. Thanks again Barb.

[sydnie7]

Perhaps this question should be a separate thread, but I'll chime in here with a "why do it this way?" question I encountered after sewing the MacWerner Watch per The Book's instructions.

When joining two lengths of tartan, you're told to create a flat-fell seam that lies midway between the inner and outer crease of a pleat. The seam extends from hem upward to the point where the excess material is later cut away. During final pressing, I found that this seam created a slight bulge in the pleat from fell to cut-away.

On a previous hand-sewn wool kilt (done to other instructions) I had placed the join right at the inner crease of a pleat. This leaves raw edges inside the kilt, but I did a hand-overcast stitch which has kept them neat. Granted, when you start tapering that pleat the join will no longer be right at the crease -- but it doesn't create the bulge that the flat-fell does.

Pros and cons for each method, but am I missing some other rationale for using Barb's method vs. "mine"?

[Barb T]

I've seen it done this way on other kilts, and it's perfectly OK if you don't mind the raw edge. Personally, I don't like the look of the raw edge, and I've made literally hundreds of kilts and have never had the join make a bulge when I've pressed the kilt. And it hasn't mattered whether I'm making an 11 oz kilt or a 16 oz kilt, or even a 4 yard box pleated kilt (which has less fabric between the outside layer and the join).

So, I'm wondering. Are you folding it over twice when stitch the join instead of just once once? I'm perplexed about why your seam has a bulge.

[sydnie7]

I think I did it as instructed (but memory doesn't always serve). Stitch seam, trim one allowance to 1/4", trim the other to 1/2", fold the 1/2" over the 1/4" and stitch along the fold. This results in three layers of fabric next to the seam.

Perhaps it should be only two layers? If I trim one allowance to 1/8 and the other to 3/8, so the two raw edges meet instead of overlapping but are both still encased and captured by the stitching.

The flat-fell finish is certainly nicer than the overcast raw edges, if I can get it right!

[Barb T]

Sounds right - it makes 3 thicknesses right at the seam. What weight tartan were you working with?

[sydnie7]

It is a lighter weight wool, not sure of the exact spec. Perhaps a combination of that, and my failure to stretch things really well while sewing pleats. It doesn't show unless I look real closely for it so I'll just stop looking for it!

Thanks for the book and all your follow-up on our efforts!

[Barb T]

If the tartan is 10 oz or less, I can see why the seam might show.