Opinions please

**macwilkin** · 28th December 04, 10:45 AM

I originally wanted to pleat to the stripe because it is different. And I do think that the red on green would give the kilt a very unique look.

Also very appropriate for this tartan, since the Stewart Hunting is a military tartan, and military kilts are pleated to stripe.

The Royal Scots wear the Stewart Hunting, and one of their Territorial Battalions (equivalent to the US National Guard) , the "Dandy 9th", wore the HS kilt.

The Ghurkas also use it, the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's Own) and the Transvaal Scottish in South Africa.

Cheers,

T.

**beerbecue** · 28th December 04, 11:20 AM

Hey cajunscot,

Do you happen to know what stripe is used for pleating?

I looked at several sites, but could not get a good look at the back of the kilts. It looks like yellow, but I can't say for sure.

Edit:

Its pleated to yellow.
http://www.ltgov.bc.ca/images/photos...29-CScotR1.jpg

I guess now the "is it appropriate" question comes to mind....

**macwilkin** · 28th December 04, 12:51 PM

I guess now the "is it appropriate" question comes to mind....

As long as you're not impersonating a member of the Canadian Scottish Regiment, then I think you're fine. The wide-scale availability of the Government (Black Watch) Tartan and other military tartans, such as the Cameron of Erracht, is precedent. And given the fact that so much of what we know as Highland attire comes from the Highland Regiments, then I think it is a very fitting tribute -- besides, it gives you a very nice story to tell when you explain pleating to stripe! :mrgreen:

Cheers,

T.

**RockyR** · 28th December 04, 01:28 PM

Hey Troy,

I'm with Barb on this one... CERTAIN tartans (IMHO) look better pleated regimentally (to the stripe). Others look better pleated to the sett. When I get an order for Stewart Hntg, I usually pleat to the sett. When I get an order for Douglas (dark blue with a white stripe), I usually pleat to the stripe. If the colors of the kilt are very dark and the stripe is very light (and not immediately surrounded by anything), the stripe looks good.

The cool thing about pleating to the Stripe is that the back of the kilt and the front of the kilt look completely different. Pleating to the stripe takes a little bit less material (so it is a bit more cost effective), but, as Barb said, it is harder to center the stripe on every pleat and to make sure they don't "swerve" at all on the way down.

Bottom line... it's YOUR kilt. Lay it out and pin a couple pleats down either way and see which one YOU like better! It's all a personal prefference.

There's more than 1 way to skin a cat... there's more than 1 right way to pleat a kilt.

**beerbecue** · 28th December 04, 01:43 PM

I have a few days off coming up, so I will give a couple of options a try.

I had originally thought of this tartan because of its military heritage.

If I had only known beforehand that it was asymmetric I would have purchased 8 yards of double-width, then I could have made one to sett and one to stripe.....

Hindsight is always 20/20!!

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 28th December 04, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

Unlike Jimmy, I really like kilts pleated to the stripe! To me, it's a matter of taste and a matter of the tartan.

Originally Posted by Barb T.

For the Hunting Stewart, I'm partial to how the red-in-green pleating looks. I'm less fond of the overall yellowish cast of the yellow-in-green pleating.

Originally Posted by RockyR

I'm with Barb on this one... CERTAIN tartans (IMHO) look better pleated regimentally (to the stripe). Others look better pleated to the sett. When I get an order for Stewart Hntg, I usually pleat to the sett.

That ought to clear it up.

**beerbecue** · 29th December 04, 07:35 AM

**RockyR** · 29th December 04, 07:37 AM

Sorry for the confusion... What I meant was there is more than 1 way to do things. It's a matter of opinion.

I meant that I agree with Barb that certain tartans look better regimental and others look better to the Sett. In this particular instance, Barb and I disagree on how to pleat a Stewart Hntg kilt. However, that's OK... it's a matter of personal opinion.

Originally Posted by Jimmy Carbomb

Since I (personally) can't stand the look of pleating to the stripe,

That's your opinion and it's OK for you to feel that way. Many would disagree with your opinion, but that doesn't make it wrong for you.

**arrogcow** · 29th December 04, 09:19 AM

So what do you do If you can't do either. SEven years ago, my wife had 9 yards of Aberdeen woven for me as a wedding present (we had it done in linen instead of wool to make a lighter weight summer kilt - the weaver's suggestion). Anyway I wore it for years as a great kilt to ren fests and the like, and it was my first kilt of any kind.

Anyway, now that I have become an almost full time kilt wearer (and have 12 kilts), I would like to use this fabric to make a wee kilt (or two brecans I havn't decided). The problem is that the Aberdeen tartan is very complex. It is over 20 inches before it repeats, so pleating it either to sett or to stripe would made pleats that are about 11 inches deep (and take nearly 30 yards of material). So do I just pleat it any old way or what?

I'm adding a pic to my gallery so you can see the tartan.

Adam[/img]

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 29th December 04, 10:53 AM

With that large of a tartan, I was left to either makes pleats that were huge, or come-up with another solution. The solution was to alternate specific lines in threes. Since the pattern is such a broad, but symmetrical pattern, you would start with one line... go in about 7 for the boundary... then another 7" for the next boundary. If you reverse the pattern for the next three pleats, then you have the pleating. I was actually impressed how well it worked, plus it kept the symmetry. I wish I had pictures of the finished product!

If you have the time to pin it up, you'll see what I mean. Question? PM and we'll work it out for you. Once you have the idea of the pleating down, it's really quite simple to do.