SWK pleat help

**sathor** · 11th January 09, 06:52 PM

After washing my SWK standard today, I realized a few of the areas where the pleats are sewn down are coming undone, mostly not to bad, and I think they are under the belt at any rate. Is this due to my big rear end, or normal. Is it easier to fix it or ignore it?

**Bugbear** · 11th January 09, 07:10 PM

They are machine sewn, so you should probably fix it because machine stitches tend to unravel.

I've never heard of the stitches at the top of an SWK splitting, but it doesn't have a stabilizer, so I guess it could happen.

You might want to put at least a reenforcement stitch just below where the stitches have failed, so it doesn't continue.

Someone else could advise you more on that.

**ChattanCat** · 11th January 09, 07:33 PM

The pleats were never designed to hold the kilt together. It is the interfacing that should support the stress of the belt and buckles. Inexpensive kilts do not have the interfacing and the seams on the pleats will stretch and may unravel. Best bet, reinforce the as Ted has suggested, or better yet, put some support in the pleats like Pellon interfacing.
Good luck,

**sathor** · 11th January 09, 08:31 PM

Not sure if it really would have any effect, the parts are lower than I realized, and I took pics of two of the 'trouble' areas, this is the worse of them. (And I realize that had it been an economy, it wouldn't be sewn at that place, I think.)

**ChattanCat** · 11th January 09, 08:55 PM

Repair is in order.

**sathor** · 11th January 09, 08:58 PM

Is it the order of sewing on a button, of finding a tailor? (My experience is closest to the button thing.)

**ChattanCat** · 11th January 09, 09:16 PM

More than a button but less than a kilt.
I would start with some thread, Knot the end about 3-4 knots. Bring it up thru the pleat you want to join, the one to the right. Then thru the pleat that you want to join to the left. Then use a hiddien stitch up to where the trhread is broken and then past to make sure you are locking in the machine thread.
Easy huh?

**Bugbear** · 11th January 09, 09:23 PM

You might want to talk to The Wizard of BC about how to do that. I do have a link, in the second post of my "Stabilizer for a StillWater" thread, to a thread and post where he explains sewing the fell on that type of kilt.

* Here you go, I went and copied the links I was talking about from my thread:

James MacMillan's thread "Really dumb question" on sewing in a fell

The Wizard of BC's post that fully explains handsewing the fell in "Really dumb question...."

Barb T.'s post in her thread "Pleating" that also explains the handsewing of the fell

And my thread "Stabilizer for a Stillwater."

Doing the whole fell would be quite a bit more than just sewing on a button, but just putting in a reenforcement stitch to stop the splitting would be about as easy as a button, or easier... *

**sathor** · 12th January 09, 05:57 AM

I basically did sort of what those said, one of the two parts came out well enough I wasn't sure where it was to start with, the larger hole that I included a pic of earlier isn't perfect, horizontal line gets a little flubbed, but I can't be sure I can see it when I have it on me looking in the mirror, so... Thank you for the help, that wasn't to much worse than sewing a button. Still don't want to do it again, but I know how to if I need to.

On a secondary note, can I spray a SWK standard with static guard? After some times wearing it w/o washing, the static cling that is seems to have when I first got it had gone away, washed it, fixed it, and now its static monster again. I know that it becomes less staticy over time while being worn, but arg, static is annoying.