CommonHighrise,

Can we assume that you made these two Kilts yourself?

If so, may I we suggest you find a copy of "The Art of Kiltmaking" by our own Barb T.

http://www.celticdragonpress.com/

This is the bible of Kiltmaking.

The problem you talk about is known as "Pleat Kick". There are a few reasons for pleats splaying open as you describe.

First is your choice of fabric. I make Kilts from Duck Canvas. But I am very picky where I get my fabrics. Because it is usually 100% Cotton, Duck Canvas is very prone to wrinkling. It also does not have a good swish factor. Duck may be used for Kilts that are intended to withstand abuse and rugged wear where wrinkling is not a factor but will only start to hang correctly after the fabric has been broken in and softened by repeated washings and use.
I don't think I would have ever chosen Cotton/Spandex for a Kilt. And stretch to the fabric will introduce a whole passel of problems as you sew it.

Second is perhaps your Sett size. You describe your pleats as having a 2" Reveal but it is unclear what the actual depth of your pleats is. The normal way to describe a pleat is to measure the distance from one pleat edge to the next pleat edge. We call this the Sett size. The Pleat Depth is then the Sett minus the reveal. If your depth is truly only 2" then your Sett size would be 6" and this is considered far too small for large reveal pleats. I would suggest at least 7" and perhaps even 9".

Third is the way the pleats are sewn. To insure that the pleats below the bottom of the Fell remain parallel and straight many Kiltmakers use a line of stitches known as Steeking. In the absence of Steeking the Kiltmaker pulls up on the inside of the pleat very slightly to force the fabric to lay flat as they sew the Fell stitches. Basting your pleats parallel is always advisable when making a Kilt to help keep the pleats parallel as you sew.

A few pictures of your work would of course help us to advise you. I think however that from the responses you have so far you are finding that Kiltmaking is a little more than just folding and stitching some fabric.

You will find that this forum is a wealth of information and there are many of us willing to help as much as we can.

Good luck and keep sewing.