Pleats, Drives me freakin' NUTS

[Alan H]

Not the ones in the back, nope....No, it's the left hand edge of the apron, and also the first pleat on the left edge. In all of my kilts they curl forwards. I solved the problem somewhat in the Stillwater Black Watch by giving the material of the over-apron a bit a a yank or two. That stretched it out a bit. I think it's had shrunk a little bit in being ironed.

The Black Stillwater, this morning was doing the same thing. I yanked on it a few times to no avail. I loosed the over-apron buckles. Nope. The USA Kilts philabeg does it too, but not as badly.

Any hints on what to do about this?

[auld argonian]

I thought that the first pleat after the under-apron was basically like an extra-deep sort of thing but done so that the pleat made up of the left side of the front of the under-apron was creased on a slight diagonal down and away...the difference for the diagonal then being made up in the crease under the under apron before beginning even pleats to go around the back of the kilt...this being sort of reversed at the last pleat before the front apron.

best

AA

[beerbecue]

I thought that the first pleat after the under-apron was basically like an extra-deep sort of thing but done so that the pleat made up of the left side of the front of the under-apron was creased on a slight diagonal down and away...the difference for the diagonal then being made up in the crease under the under apron before beginning even pleats to go around the back of the kilt...this being sort of reversed at the last pleat before the front apron.

best

AA

HUH???!!!! LOL.......

Andrew, I had the same thing come up on one of my self-mades as well... I don't think I had that part ironed properly, for one, and, I do believe, I have gained a little girth since I made it.... It didn't curl until I had worn it for a while, so I am thinking I am now too big for it.....

I finally got my kiltmaking supplies out of storage, and will take the iron and ham to it as soon as I am able, and will let you know if that helps. I may also be letting it out a bit (I left very deep first and last reverse pleats).

Thankfully, I haven't finished my first 16 oz. trad, or my second, so I have a chance to remeasure before sewing those up.

I'll report back....

[The Wizard of BC]

Alan,

Get a needle and thread.

Find the Steeking line of your kilts. It's the line at the bottom of the Fell area and the bottom of where the tapering of the pleats is. On a full trad, hand sewn, you should find a line of stitches there, on the inside, that hold the in pleats down.

On the back side, find the inside crease of the offending pleat. Now pull up slightly on the in-crease. Just enough so that you see the pleat bow slightly.
The amount of bow should be just enough for you to see it, but not enough to put stress on the pleat.

Stitch that pleat down to the pleat behind it. This should have been done when the original steeking line was sewn, but some people leave it out completly.

This small tugging of the inside of each pleat will cause them to naturally bend inward and prevent them from curling out.

[motorman4life]

I'm lost! Maybe I'm just the kinda guy that needs pictures and diagrams. I have 9 or 10 kilts and only two of them give me this problem. I'd like to fix it, but that description just give me a headache