Triming the pleats?? I need help please!!

[Taylea_Chisum]

I am doing as much research as possible before I start the process of making my first kilt for the dear husband.

I do not have time to wait on the shipment of the famous "The Art of Kiltmaking" so I am going off of Jan Bruyndonckx's instructions from the scottishdance.net website.

This part has me confused beyond all reason!!! Do I actually cut into the inside of the pleats and continue to cut off that strip all the way to the top?? It seems like it would allow for a big ugly gap if you were to even slightly tug at the pleats on the top of the kilt.

*sigh* Help...? Anyone...?


Thank you!!!




Trimming the Back of the Pleats

Trimming pleats On the inside of the kilt trim excess material at top of each pleat, from waist to 1 inch above the hipline. This strip would be 1 ½ to 2 inches deep, removing the bulk of the material from the inside.

[davidlpope]

You leave a gap of about 1/2 - 3/4 inch between the stitching and where you are cutting. If each pleat is correctly sewn to the pleat below it, then no gap will show.

The interfacing, lining, and waistband will cover the part of the pleats that you cut out, so the top and inside of the kilt will be finished.

One word of unsolicited advice- If you are going to the trouble of hand-sewing a kilt, it REALLY is better to do it right the first time. I'd urge you to rethink your rush and get Barb's book before you proceed.

Best of luck,

David

[Taylea_Chisum]

Thank you, David.

I would love to have the time to wait on it, but by the time it shipped, the husband will have to wait a year before he has another chance to wear his kilt...*sigh*


I will order it eventually, because I plan on making more than one kilt. This is the trial version 1.0 haha

Though I would like the trial version to look nice, too.

[davidlpope]

Surely there's more opportunities to wear a kilt than once a year...

What fabric are you using for the kilt? If it's expensive, tartan kilt fabric you don't want to ruin it. Perhaps you might consider a kilt rental for this first go-round. Sewing a traditional kilt can be complicated without good instructions.

If you're really in a rush consider sewing a 4-yd box-pleat. Less time and energy because you sew fewer pleats. Barb and Matt have a supplement available, I think online, I think that could be helpful.

David

Thank you, David.

I would love to have the time to wait on it, but by the time it shipped, the husband will have to wait a year before he has another chance to wear his kilt...*sigh*


I will order it eventually, because I plan on making more than one kilt. This is the trial version 1.0 haha

Though I would like the trial version to look nice, too.

[sydnie7]

If you look carefully at the photos and sample illustrations on Barb's book website, you'll see more examples of the pleat cutaway. There are also discussions of the topic in other threads on this forum, such as here that includes pictures of the innards of kilts, clearly showing the cutaway.

Have fun and keep us posted!

[Paul Henry]

Many years ago when Jan was still around, I used to look at his website and his work, and was very impressed and becasue of him I started trying out some kilt making, his directions are simple but fairly basic , if you have reasonable sewing skills, you should be fine.
Here is another site that is worth a look as wellChris Eyre kilt making, it's got sof pictures as well as explanations which I'm sure will help.
Good luck and keep us up to date

[M. A. C. Newsome]

We have the Art of Kiltmaking in stock -- if you ordered this weekend it could ship on Monday morning and even standard shipping gets to most domestic US locations in 3 to 5 days. If you wanted to phone in your order we could 2nd day or even overnight it for you. Just so you know you have the option...
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/books.htm

[skauwt]

from one chisholm to another chisum welcome