Pleats under the apron?

[Robinhood]

I got some nice 16 ounce per yard (60" wide) wool tartan
for my first tartan kilt. The fabric is really thick. Before I
washed it, it was over 1/16 inch thick. I washed it in warm
water and ironed it wet (really hard) to compress the fibers
and it worked somewhat. The fabric is now a little under
1/16 inch thick. It is still too thick to make a standard
8 yard "tank." (With pleats deep enough to take that much
fabric, it would be over 1/2 inch thick.)

Since I'm planning on wearing this kilt in cold weather,
I was thinking of using some of the "extra" fabric to
make more pleats under the apron so it lays more
modestly when I'm sitting, and maybe to make
the inner apron two layers thick for warmth in the front
where I "need" it.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this topic that anyone might
have.

Thanks.

Robinhood

[Robin]

Hello brother,

I've no clue about how to make a kilt, but I do have an 8 yards 16 oz Strome kilt...don't worry too much about the cold...it's comfortably warm...even below freezing temperatures. Such a kilt is warmer as "normal" trousers.

[Blu (Ontario)]

The wool fabric typically used for kilts is thin but quite dense. It will block light quite well. What you describe sounds more like blanket fabric. Is the weave fairly loose?

[Robinhood]

The fabric is not blanket material. It is thinner and has
a pretty tight weave. It it the type you would make
a winter suit from, or use to line a winter coat.

When I say the waistband would be 1/2 inch thick, I'm
talking about 1 inch pleats 6 inches deep, making an
overlap in pleats of 13 layers and a few more for the
waistband. That many layers of blanket material would
be well over an inch thick. Since I'm going with 1 inch
pleats 3 inches deep, I'll have 7 layers in pleats.

I'm mostly interested in ideas about the additional
fabric in the front. Would it cause any unforseen
problems? Keep in mind it will be a "cold weather"
kilt.

[cavscout]

I have nothing to base this on so take it for what it's worth.

I think it would be awkward and annoying to have that much extra material knocking around in front of and between your knees. Even with the light weight kilts I currently own I've not run into any modesty issues while sitting.

I could be wrong on this also, but I believe the top portion of the pleats are trimed off at an angle to eliminate the large amount of cloth that creates that 1/2" thckness and 14 layers of material.

[The Wizard of BC]

Your unseen problem is going to be trying to mold the extra fabric. Adding extra pleats under the aprons are called "Back Pleats". They require A LOT of what is known as "Fabric Molding". Using steam, pressure, and patients to get a flat piece of fabric to take a skewed shape. Not impossible, but it may take over an hour to mold each one.

Try an experiment. Mark your fabric with chalk. Three lines 12 inches apart. Make the lines curved exactly like the curve you will use for the apron edges.

Now fold and baste the three edges together. Flip the fabric over and look at the underside of the two pleats you just made. See those large bumps and bulges. That is what you are going to have to deal with.

The other problem about your waistband area being 1/2" thick... The extra fabric is usually cut away. Then the area covered with the lining.

6 inch deep pleats is very generious. Are you pleating to the stripe or to the Sett?

[Barb T]

I agree that you'll be unhappy with all the extra bulk and that it won't make you warmer. At the risk of being indelicate, I will say that having two layers of wool plus your sporran over the "relevant parts" is plenty protection from direct frontal winds, and adding fabric in pleats under the apron won't give you any more protection from cold updrafts. And, I don't know any kiltwearers who, once they get the hang of how to sit in a kilt, have any trouble maintaining modesty (if they care, anyway!! I've certainly seen some who apparently don't care!).

I'd give the extra pleats a miss.

Barb

[Robinhood]

Thank you for your comments.

The kilt will be pleated to the set which is
6 inches, giving the choice of 3 inches deep
or 6 inches deep (or 9 or 12 for the real
masochist).

I guess I'll skip the front pleats. No one has
mentioned the double layer apron (directly),
other than saying that 2 layers in front is
usually enough.

Maybe I'll put an extra layer in the apron
and see how it works. It should be easy to
remove if I don't like it. I'll post my impression
when it's done.

[bubba]

The problem with adding extra layers to the aprons that I can see is that they might not fall between the legs properly when sitting. It might make the aprons a bit stiffer.

[Barb T]

If you go for a double sett in each pleat, you'll either use up a boatload of fabric or only have a small # of pleats. Using a single sett will give you all the swing you need (more swing, actually, that you'd get with fewer, deeper pleats), and I wouldn't double the sett for the pleats.

Barb