Advice needed with MacDougall tartan, 15.5 inch repeat

[flatsphere]

Kilt experts, I need some advice.
I want to pleat this kilt to stripe, but due to the very wide repeat, I would only have a 17 pleats.
My measurements are:
@waist: Apron - 18.5", pleats - 16.5" =====>pleat width - 0.97"
@hips: Apron - 20", pleats - 21" =====>pleat width - 1.235"

I considered doubling to 33 pleats by adding the repeating dominant line that repeats 4.75", however, that would give me alternating shallow and deep pleats. My main concern in doing this is that the pleat width at hip would let the next color threads peak through, so I'd get strange red wedges, spear-like, pushing it's way into my pleat.

I also tried using a couple of other stripes at but it was starting to look too busy.

So, are 17 to 19 pleats OK?

Cheers!
Rafael

[M. A. C. Newsome]

1.25" wide at the hip is wider than one normally sees in a typical 8 yard kilt, but when I make 6 yard kilts for folks, that's a fairly typical size. So yes, you could certainly do it, and no, it would not look bad. It would just look like a lower-yardage kilt - but of course would have much deeper pleats.

[FreddyBeachPete]

I have two MacDougall kilts (Modern and Ancient) the former traditional knife pleat, the latter a box-pleat. I posted pictures here: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ancient-72575/
If you'd like me to measure something on them or provide some other pictures just let me know and I will do my best to help.

[flatsphere]

Can you believe I actually have 10 yards in it, but the set is soooooo wide.
Thanks for the advice, I'll move forward with that pleating.

[flatsphere]

Hi Freddy,
It looks like your ancient MacDougall uses the same double wide set. When you have time, I'd love to get some measurements and pictures of how they did the box pleating.

I have an ancient MacDougall tartan in 15oz weight that I wear as a great kilt at various events.

Cheers!
R

[FreddyBeachPete]

If you contact John at Keltoi (one of the X Mark advertisers!) he may be willing to assist you with info on pleating of the ancient MacDougall. When he finished my kilt (I had roughly 4 1/2 yards of fabric that I sent him to use) he wrote in an email: "I have to say, it was definitely one of the more challenging tartans to work with in the context of a box-pleated kilt. At first glance I thought the white stripes where evenly spaced, but no... The sett is about 16" which is easily one the largest setts out there! Anyway, I had to be both mathematical and creative with the pleating, so I hope you like it."

Suffice to say, I love the kilt!