For holding kilt pleats for sewing I use long pins with bead heads - I think they are called quilting pins, rather than the ordinary dressmaking pins.

I pin a pleat, sew it, removing the pins as I go, then do the next pleat, as pinning every pleat first seems to be a sure way to draw blood.

Some fabrics and pleats seem to require more pins than others. I suspect that the fabrics I buy are not all of the same quality and that there are spots where the warp and weft are not at 90 degrees to eachother.

I have found that when remaking a kilt it is a lot easier to align things than the first time it was sewn - possibly the washing, hanging and wearing have worked on the threads and aligned them better, or perhaps the size (dressing) has washed out and released the threads.

High quality wool seems to need the least pinning whenever it is sewn.

Pinning single pleats is the method I settled on without the benefit of 'The Book' as it seems to work well so I am pleased to read that it is the choice of experts, even if there is a little debate about the exact number of pins.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: