First time pleating to the sett. (Maple leaf tartan)

[Hothir Ethelnor]

I'm not sure whether to post this here or over in DIY but I thought I'd start it here.

I am making a Maple Leaf tartan PV tank and I decided to pleat it to the sett. (since there wasn't a nice thin stripe at the turn of the pattern.)

I already have one set of pleats done and am back to where I started. (in the pattern that is.)

I am sewing it by machine but basting each pleat in place before doing so. I have found that a very small zigzag is close to hand-stitching although not quite as invisible.

Each pleat is 1" at the hips and tapers to 3/4" at the waist.

Besides using a machine to stitch the pleats and not having an outside left apron buckle I am following the Art of Kiltmaking.

pics.

The apron edge and the first pleat basted and sewn.



Progress...



The fell at the waist. I have been using safety pins to mark the center of each pleat and making the chalk markings as I go along.



The fell at the hips. I decided on future kilts with traditional shaped aprons to hand stitch the apron as it is difficult in the extreme to match a curve with a straight-ish line while running the fabric through a machine.