Pressing the pleats

[The Wizard of BC]

The thing to remember here is that wool has a working temperature of 80 - 150 Deg. C. This means that at approx. 80 degrees the fibers become plyable and at 150 they become damaged by the heat. At 299 deg. it scorches or chars and will ignite at 600 deg C.

The secret is that the temperature of steam is always the same. Unless under pressure steam is 100 deg C, or 212 deg. F. Right about the middle of the working range.

By using the steam alone to heat the fibers so that they will deform and create a crease and yet never get hot enough to damage the fibers.

I use my steam iron (which by the way is an industrial with a separate steam tank.) I can keep the sole plate of the iron at a lower temp and use just the steam to soften the fibers.

I then use the block as X Man showed to press the fibers into their new shape AND HOLD TILL THEY COOL!. My rule of thumb is two shots of steam to heat just hot enough that I can't put my hand down. Then press with a block of wood or a metal ruler acting as a heat sink to pull the heat back out of the wool till it is just warm. I should be able to put my hand down for a full 10 seconds without pain.

I have large tables that we use as pressing surfaces and we all press down till our feet come off the floor. That's 130 to 180 lbs of downward pressure. The time to cool is about 15-20 seconds.

2-3 seconds of steam to heat the wool.
5-8 seconds of pressure to set the crease while heating the next section.
Then move the pressure to the new heated section overlapping the first allowing the first to cool for at least 15-20 seconds before moving or disturbing the fabric.

[Chirs]

Great post Steve. Thank you.

[Droid]

This sounds about right. A few thoughts;
1.Make sure the pleats are perfectly even from top to bottom.
2. You could probably stand to add a couple of rows of basting. One between the ones you have and another again half way up to the fell from the top row unless you feel very confident in your ability to keep the pleats straight.
3. For extra crispness in the pleats, steam with the iron for a few seconds then press them with a block letting them cool as they set.

I have a question about step 1. The kilt I need to press has been worn a handful of times with plenty of sitting and a fair amount of driving on a car, so, needless to say, the pleats need a little love. But, upon further inspection, the pleats are smaller at the top than at the bottom. I never look that closely at the construction, I just put it on and went out. Is this normal?

I just tried laying the kilt out on the floor to see just how bad the pleats are and am having a very hard time getting the darn thing to lay flat. Like I said, the top (waist line) is smaller then the bottom (knee line).

I can try to upload pictures if need be.

[The Wizard of BC]

Droid,

If you will reach up into the pleats at the hem and slide your hand up towards the waistband you will find that your hand will stop before getting all the way to the top. This is where the pleats are sewn down and tapered.

This sewn down area is called the Fell. This area of the kilt with its tapering is what gives the kilt its shape.
The Fell should reach from the top of the waistband down to approx. the widest part of the hips and butt.

Below the Fell the pleats are not sewn down. They are simply pressed. This is the area we are talking about when we say we are pressing the pleats.

The kilt, if you try to lay it flat on the floor, will not lay totally flat because of the tapering. If you spread out the tapered area the pleats will splay out like a fan.

This splaying of the pleats is bad. If you were to press the pleats while they are splayed, the back of the kilt when you wear it will look horrible. About like a stage curtian.

So what we do is arrange the kilt on the floor or table and lift the Fell area up till the pleats lay flat. (I put a pillow behind my Fell to hold it up while pressing) If you push the fell area up till the hem is straight the pleats will probably start to fall into place all on their own. Then we measure the width of the pleat at the bottom or biggest part of the Fell. When we baste the pleats we try to keep the same width of pleat from the bottom of the Fell down to the hem.

Also watch that the pattern of the Tartan keeps in the same place on each pleat as it is at the bottom of the Fell.

for example: If there is a prominant line down the center of a pleat keep it in the center all the way down the pleat. Use pins to create a temporary pleat edge if you must.

Then starting at the outer apron side take one pleat and place it on top of the next pleat. Use a tape measure to keep the width the pleat the same at the bottom of the Fell all the way down to the hem. Don't forget to baste the apron edges to the adjoining pleat.

Work your way across the pleats basting as you go. Each pleat should now be exactly the same width as up at the bottom of the Fell.

Add as many lines of basting till you can pick up the kilt and the pleats don't sag from their own weight. My basting jobs will usually have four, five or six lines of basting across the kilt.

What you are trying to achieve is perfectly parallel and straight pleats.

Now you are ready to start with the pressing.

[Droid]

I spent about an hour last night trying to baste my kilt, but, I only passed the needle through the wool twice. The pleats didn't seem to be the same width all the way down. Either I'm being way too critical about this or the kilt wasn't 'perfect' to begin with. I really don't want to mess this kilt up, I like it.

Is there a video out there I could watch? I have read the couple tutorials on this site and am still not confident enough to try anything without watching someone do it first.

[chrisupyonder]

I have been searching myself for such a video.

This is the best so far.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=47296

Note the large pressing board used after the iron and pressing cloth are removed.

Still searching.

Chris.

[Droid]

Update:

As I have posted in a few other threads, I've been wearing my kilt more often these past few weeks... date night, to a concert, out to the pub, dinner and a movie, to a graduation... and my pleats have taken quite a bit of damage. I posted this pic on another thread, it is evidence of my wrinkled perdicament:


I now am asking for a little advice... on the pleating of my kilt, and on how to 'repair' it.

First question: My kilt does not seem to be pleated to any pattern. Not to the set or to the stripe as far as I can tell. What are your opinions on this? Should I worry about it?


I tried pressing the pleats at home. I've done this twice in the last week trying to keep everything in the right place. I couldn't seem to get the pleats any straighter by basting. My basting was loose and didn't appear to do much, then, when I tried to tighted things up, it seemed to pull the pleats too close together.

I'm also having trouble with the fell. If the pleats are stright vertically and horizontally, then the fell is all bunched up and it make it a little more dificult to measure and such.

Second question... how do you suggest I fix these trouble spots:




Can you see how some of the pleats are not even at the bottom, one side hangs lower than the other? Also, my pleats have gotten wavey, not and equal distance apart all the way down. This probably happened during one of my pressing attemps.

Do you think I'm being to critical? Are those little bits of uneven-ness normal? Can they be 'smoothed' out?

[Droid]

I'd like to add... I've read all the threads about steaming. I've been able to steam out the smaller wrinkles. I do this on the floor with wet cloths and a warm iron, then I leave it to dry. Seems to work. Should I be hanging it up to let it dry?

A lot of people have said their wool kilts do not wrinkle much and easly straighten themselves... I do not understand how this is so. My kilt wrinkles soo easily it seems. Have I worn out the material? Is it time to retire this kilt?

[seanachie]

DROID: Is this a worsted wool kilt? 13 oz? 16 oz? There were no issues when you received the kilt as far as the pleats?

I will second the comment on steamers. When I wear my kilt for a day, I brush it with a good lint brush (the exact one recommended in an thread from awhile back) I hang it and let the wrinkles "fall out" over night It the kilt requires a little remediation I have an old Jiffy steamer (floor model) and I carefully, taking my time steam the kilt. I only have a few "good" wool kilts and I am super careful about keeping them in good shape but this has worked for me.

[Droid]

DROID: Is this a worsted wool kilt? 13 oz? 16 oz? There were no issues when you received the kilt as far as the pleats?

I will second the comment on steamers. When I wear my kilt for a day, I brush it with a good lint brush (the exact one recommended in an thread from awhile back) I hang it and let the wrinkles "fall out" over night It the kilt requires a little remediation I have an old Jiffy steamer (floor model) and I carefully, taking my time steam the kilt. I only have a few "good" wool kilts and I am super careful about keeping them in good shape but this has worked for me.

Lochcarron 13oz. No issues when I recieved the kilt as far as the pleats go, that I remember, I got the kilt in 2003, but didn't start wearing it regularly until about a year ago.