Deep pleats

[BertMcG]

I am making a weathered MacKenzie kilt and the sett is 12” so to pleat to the sett they will be 6” deep which I’ve never done before, it seems like a lot. I calculated about 17 pleats and I’d still end up with almost 6 yards in the back, don’t know what sort of swing you’d get with pleats like that. I could pleat to the white stripes which would make the pleats only 3” deep which is more manageable and I’ve done that before. Any advice on how to approach this would be greatly appreciated.

[BertMcG]

Picture didn’t show in first post, here it is

[KnittedReenactor]

I am sure Barb T or another experienced maker will here shortly.
Usually a 8 yard traditional will have about a yard of fabric dedicated to each apron, over and under. That leaves 6 for the rear pleats. So your total rear fabric sounds ok.
Are you pleating to the stripe (red/white/alternating), a general block of color, or are you attempting to replicate the pattern?

[uncle remus]

have you tried to pleat it to the sett?

[Father Bill]

I note your screen name as a re-enactor. If you're doing a period before 1830, my understanding from others on this forum is that most kilts were box-pleated then, something that uses a lot less fabric, normally pleated to the stripe.

[KnittedReenactor]

If you are referring to me then I am not the op, just a commenter.

[Father Bill]

If you are referring to me then I am not the op, just a commenter.

Sorry - I need to pay closer attention.

[ShaunMaxwell]

BertMcG:

Some years ago, I had a Smith tartan kilt pleated to the red stripe. It's a large sett, and I ended up with 18-19 pleats that are as deep as you'd described. I love the kilt, but it's heavy. It doesn't swing quite as well as other kilts I have with shallower pleats, but it's not bad.

Curious to see what the kiltmakers will have to say on the subject.

SM

[BertMcG]

Usually a 8 yard traditional will have about a yard of fabric dedicated to each apron, over and under. That leaves 6 for the rear pleats. So your total rear fabric sounds ok.

I have done a couple with 6 yards in the pleats but they had close to 30 pleats so much more shallow, but this would be pleated to the sett so only 17 wide and deep pleats, I don’t know if that would have the same swing as more and shallower pleats.

[BertMcG]

BertMcG:

Some years ago, I had a Smith tartan kilt pleated to the red stripe. It's a large sett, and I ended up with 18-19 pleats that are as deep as you'd described. I love the kilt, but it's heavy. It doesn't swing quite as well as other kilts I have with shallower pleats, but it's not bad.

Curious to see what the kiltmakers will have to say on the subject.

SM

Yes very similar size sett, that’s what I suspected about the swing. Nice looking kilt by the way. I have a Smith kilt as well but opted to pleat to the blue stripe, as I recall I don’t think I had enough fabric to do otherwise.