Assuming that you are talking about a four yard box-pleated kilt, 12oz fabric seems a little light. I have box-pleated kilt in 16oz fabric and it really benefits from the added weight.
We are not trying to burst your bubble here but I agree the fabric is a little light and the pleats may tend to curl instead of holding a crisp boxed look. Here is a photo of a 13 oz HOE fabric in a box pleat.
Also low yardage box pleated kilts tend to have fewer and wider pleats. The small sett of your material may not lend itself to these wider pleats.
I like the fabric. Sort of somewhere between a tartan and a tweed. The smaller sett probably throws it into a glen plaid sort of direction, but I like it. I just completed a box pleat with just 2 yards of 56" wide 13 oz tartan, so a 4 yard kilt. I had only a couple of tiny scraps left, pretty much used every inch of fabric, so if you have the option of buying a little bit more (say even a 1/4 yard) do it so you can make flashes or have a little breathing room. Also at a 3.5 inch sett you would definitely need to plan on two setts per pleat if you are pleating to the stripe. The sett of this particular fabric looks a little rectangular, so you would definitely need to have some extra to make sure your top band and fringes are taken from the right warp or weft directions.
A 16 oz fabric would make a nicer swing and weighting of the box pleat, BUT I just did mine in 13 oz (not scientific, but by hand feel comparing to the weight of my 2 13 oz mid-weight kilts) and it seems to hang and swing well enough. Lighter fabrics benefit from a hem too and this one may not have a clean selvage, so that could add some weight. 12 oz is a light, but if the price is right...it is a good place to learn and experiment.
I went with a pleat every other set and its come to 14 pleats to the stripe which seems to give it some volume. The pattern with all grey with red stripe looks pretty nice. I put all 4 yards into it and I guess well have to see what it looks like when I get done.
Bookmarks