Although you can't machine stitch the pleats you might be able to do the hem on the machine.

I started out sewing every bit by hand, but these days I do tend to do at least the hem and the first seam of the waistband on the machine, and probably the under apron edge as well.

Any straight seam or fold is usually fine on the machine, but a rigid fabric will never cooperate where one part has to be eased in to fit the other part.

I have had a few fabrics which had faults in, but they are very hard to spot once the kilt was made. On some I have been able to draw out the extra thread which had got caught up, pull it through to the inside of the kilt and snip it off, leaving two small tails, then close up the gap it left by tweeking the threads with a thin needle or pin.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: