How an Engineer lays out pleats

[The Wizard of BC]

Hi again folks,

I had some time at the shop today working to get a program properly loaded on my computer. I re-did the photos for this thread as things were loading.

If you remember we were talking about laying out pleats within a Tartan pattern by using a method familiar to oldschool draftsmen and those in Geometry class.

The first set of photos were OK but I did not set up my photography lights so the necessary detail was not coming through. I hope these photos come out better.

Let's go back to square one.

I don't know why I started out with 10 oz fabric when I already had a perfectly good example of a kilt in progress using the same Tartan in 16oz.
This kilt is one I am currently working on for myself.

Here are the two fabrics side by side so you can see that the only difference is the size of the Sett. On top is the 10oz fabric from part one of this thread. On the bottom is the actual layout template I am making this kilt with in 16oz weight.



And here are both pieces of fabric flopped over so you can see the layout marks.
Please notice, that because the Tartan pattern is larger, the Sett fits on the layout grid lower. The lower you move on the grid the wider the spacing between the lines is.
The lines are in the same place relative to the Sett the only difference is the size of each division.
This is a good example of how this system could be used on the same Tartan in different weights and why it also can work on different Tartans.



The width of pleats on the new layout template are very, very close, to one inch.

And because there is a big white thingy (sorry, that's a technical term) stuck on the fabric here is another pic so you can see how the marks correspond to the Tartan pattern.

[The Wizard of BC]

Why the heck is the new piece of Tartan so much longer and why is it marked with Roman Numerals?



I'm glad you asked.

This question brings up another thing I wanted to point out.

If you are new to kiltmaking, or have a customer with an unusual or difficult shape, there is another way to look at how you would measure that person.

This idea is also a good way to backup or confirm that your "TAoK" measurements are correct and that your "TAoK" splits are OK.
We have brought up this idea before on X Marks when talking about measuring a Gentleman of Substance or one with a predominant stomach.

There are some cases where your original measurements indicate that there would be no taper because the hip and waist appear the same. We know that this is seldom true. Almost everyone is slightly bigger in the butt than they are at the waist if you look at their back. There should be some taper but our measurements don't show it.

What we have done is split the measurements in two, front and then back. We use the side seam of the wearers trousers as a guide because when the kilt is worn the edges of the aprons should be vertical lines about where the trouser side is.

You take a set of measurements by measuring around the back of the waist, from the side seam to side seam, and then in the front, side seam to side seam.
Then exactly the same thing at the level of the hips. In effect, this give you the"TAoK" splits.

Now I am going to take that idea one step further.
If you think about what a kilt looks like from the back - if pleated to the Sett - You should see a perfect replica of the Tartan pattern across the back, as is used in the aprons.

Why not just take a strip of the Tartan you are working with and drape that right across the person's butt?

Well, here I am in trousers doing just that.



When the kilt is done, this is what you hope you will see in the pleats across the back. Well, at least that is the idea.

Flip the strip of fabric over and OH, WOW, there are your pleats.



Using this long strip will tell you how many pleats there will be in the kilt and give you the pleat layout for the entire length of fabric.

Let's start marking some pleats on fabric.

[The Wizard of BC]

And to answer the question about the Roman Numerals --- I think they look cool.
They are easier to make when marking your fabric with chalk.

And they make a cool conversation piece with your customers. "That's how we did it way back then."

[The Wizard of BC]

Because we now have a strip of our Tartan that represents the pleats from apron to apron we could, if we want, start pleating like a traditional kilt maker does at the left edge of the outer apron. Or we can start at the back center pleat and work both ways.

If you started with double-width fabric you can now join your pieces and layout your pleats as if you had a single piece of fabric.
Here is a layout starting with the center back pleat.




If you chose to pleat your kilt like a traditional, from the apron, here is what the first three pleats would look like.



And showing how you would move the layout strip over and lay out the fourth pleat.



And the fifth



And the sixth etc.



Just move that layout strip along your fabric until the Tartan pattern lines up and mark the next pleat.

[The Wizard of BC]

Some have asked how I handle the tapering using this method.

I make kilts by marking all my pleats on my length of Tartan first. I then press my pleats. Then I sew.

Here is the center back pleat of this kilt marked.
I start at the hem.



I move up the pleat marking about every six inches till I get to the bottom of the Fell.
I already know how many pleats there will be in this kilt. I also know what the waist measurement is across the pleated area. (Waist minus apron width)
All I have to do is divide the distance by the number of pleats. This is the pleat width at the waist.
I mark my layout template with this narrow width and mark this at the top of the Fell.

Straight lines (or very slightly curved ones if the person has a pronounced hip to waist difference) and I have marked the taper.



I then press the pleat right on the lines.



Now that everything is marked, tapered and pressed I can stitch the pleats just as you would using "TAoK".



And yes, this kilt I am making is to be fully hand stitched.
Meant to be worn at Full Rise.

But with a twist. This kilt will have pockets.

[The Wizard of BC]

Well, that's it folks. An Engineer laying out the pleats for a kilt.

The Art of Kiltmaking is still the authoritative guide and method to traditional kiltmaking. But even Barb will admit that it is only one way to skin the cat.

I approach things a little differently but the goal is the same. To create a kilt that fits the wearer perfectly, hangs and swishes well, and will last for a lifetime.

My system is just my way of getting to the goal.

This is exactly the same way I made my Dress Blue Kilt. It is pleated to the Stripe.



But the same system was used. I still had to know how many pleats the kilt would have and I still needed to know how wide each pleat would be.
The only difference was when pleating to the stripe I use the same part of the layout template. When pleating to the Sett I use the entire layout strip.

Anyone who wishes to try my method, please feel free.

I will of course be teaching this method in full detail at Kilt Kamp. If anyone is still fuzzy about this method or wants more detail I'll now open this thread to your questions.

[Deesquared]

Thanks for the detailed photos and instructions.
It's interesting to see a different method. I especially like how you press the pleats before sewing. I was wondering if that was an option.

[Andrews Son]

The only difference was when pleating to the stripe I use the same part of the layout template. When pleating to the Sett I use the entire layout strip.

Thank you Steve for taking the time to show us all this method,
You had me right until the end but i got lost at the above quote. I understand the layout template, but the entire layout strip, does thant mean aprons included or am i way off the mark.
Gavin

[The Wizard of BC]

The Layout strip you make stretches from the left side seam of trousers, across the butt, to the right side seam of trousers. It does not include the apron.

The center element used in the outer apron is in the center of the layout strip.
When pleating to the stripe you may have an even number of pleats or an odd number of pleats. It depends on how big your hips are.
When pleating to the Sett you will (almost) always use an odd number of pleats.

In my example The narrow white stripe of the Tartan is centered in the outer apron. So I cut my layout strip using a corresponding white stripe in its center and long enough to reach from side seam to side seam. In this example the layout strip is approx. 30" long.

To pleat to The Stripe: Please look at the first pic in post #25 to this thread. Can you see that I am laying out one pleat to The Stripe? For the next pleat move the same portion of the layout strip over to the next part of the Tartan that contains the same vertical stripe. (The small white one.)

The width of each stripe is already calculated by the marks.


To pleat to The Sett: Please look at pics 2-5 of Post #24 of this thread.
You should be able to see that pleat #1 on the layout strip is the same as the first pleat to the wearers left (right in the photo) of the apron edge. (The distance from the apron edge to the first pleat is determined IAW TAoK.)

For the first pleat align, in this example, the white stripe labeled "V" with the white stripe of your Tartan, the correct distance away from the apron. Make marks corresponding with "I" on the layout strip.

To continue pleating to the Sett move the layout strip along the fabric to your right till it again aligns up with the same part of the next Tartan pattern. (Again, the white stripe labeled "V") and mark the pleat numbered "II" on the layout strip.

Continue aligning and marking each successive pleat as you move right along your kilt fabric. When you get to the last pleat on the layout strip (which should be the same part of the Tartan pattern as you marked for pleat #1) you are done.

You can now layout the underapron IAW TAoK.

[Pleater]

Thanks for the detailed photos and instructions.
It's interesting to see a different method. I especially like how you press the pleats before sewing. I was wondering if that was an option.

I find that being able to work on just one fold makes a really sharp crease, far more easily than once the kilt is sewn - though it needs to be in the right place, measure twice press once.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: