Flaw in Tartan - how to work around

[Deesquared]

Hi Kiltmakers,
I would love to get some opinions on how to work around a flaw in some tartan.

My daughter wants a new kilt made from Dress Mint Scott, a relatively new tartan at Tartantown. Luckily I live close enough that I was able to go to the shop to have a look at it before buying it. I was going to buy 3.5 yards, but we discovered a flaw in the selvage edge. Since it will be hemmed, I was going to buy it anyway, with a bit of a discount.
However...we then discovered a really odd flaw at the 3.0 yard mark. One of the stripes that should be solid mint was not quite solid. You could see the warp threads running through the stripe, and it added a weird set of 'imbedded' stripes in that one stripe. It was as though some of the weft threads were missing.
(Just as a side note, we unrolled the bolt, and the flaw got worse and worse, until we reached a point in the bolt where there appeared to be NO weft threads at all for about two inches! Just a web of warp threads!)

Anyhow, the problem is that I really need to get this kilt done by October, and this is the colour and tartan we had decided on, so I might just go ahead and get the 3.5 yd piece if I can get a good discount on it. I don't have time to wait for another shipment to come in.
My question is, if that flawed stripe happens to be visible on a pleat, would you just skip over to the next sett, and have one extra deep pleat? It might actually be two extra deep pleats, as there would possibly be one on each side of the join, depending on the pleating.
I don't really want to have to piece an extra chunk in the back and have two seams, but I would do it if it was the best option.

What do you think??

PS - I'm not overly concerned about perfection in this kilt. These dancers kilts get outgrown pretty quickly! Also, I'm so cheap that I'm actually hoping I can get the piece for a good price and work around it!

Thanks everyone!
Dee

[plaid preacher]

Hi Dee - good to hear from you. Could you maybe just buy a little extra so that if you discover that the particular stripe shows on the pleat you could simply slide over one tartan element? I guess what I am saying is lay out the pleats first, so that you know the flaw will be hidden within the pleat, and then lay out the aprons once you know you are safe.

I hope that makes sense. Anyway, Can't wait to see the final results.

Robert

[Barb T]

I once made a dance kilt out of four pieces of tartan with 3 joins in the back. Worked fine and was not at all noticeable. So yes, just skip the offending section, cut out the extra, and put in all the necessary joins.

But first, I'd try laying it out in such a way that the flaw is buried inside a pleat.

[Deesquared]

Thank you both for the advice! I really just needed some reassurance that it is okay to make that extra deep pleat by skipping over to the next sett.
Goodness Barb, three joins? That would be a lot of extra work!

I should have taken a picture of this bolt, it was unbelievable that it made it out of the factory.
I'll let you all know the outcome, and hopefully we will have a new Mint Scott kilt soon!

Thanks again,
Dee

[Barb T]

Sorry I didn't make it clear - I wouldn't put in a couple extra-deep pleats. I would go over more than 1 sett to skip the flaw but then cut out the extra and make a join where I cut the extra out. Doing an extra join isn't much extra work. Even two isn't much extra.

[Arnot]

Doing an extra join isn't much extra work. Even two isn't much extra.

It really isn't. I have a kilt I made with 3 joins. I made it with some leftover bits. It turned out well enough that I wear it sometimes when dealing with people who will potentially buy one of my kilts.

[Deesquared]

Oops, sorry Barb... Sometimes I read faster than my brain can keep up!

If extra joins are the better way to go, that's what I will do.
I will definitely lay out the pleats first and hopefully the flaw will not be on top of a pleat!

Thank you all!
Dee

[Barb T]

Let us know how you get on!

[Pleater]

I was wondering if the sett is square or close enough to that, if you might be able to cut the fabric selvedge to selvedge, so it would have multiple joins and a possibly useful hem, but at least be made from properly woven fabric.

Anne the Pleater

[Barb T]

I was wondering if the sett is square or close enough to that, if you might be able to cut the fabric selvedge to selvedge, so it would have multiple joins and a possibly useful hem, but at least be made from properly woven fabric.

My experience with kilting tartan is that it is never a square weave.