Being led astray here

[Pleater]

I was just looking around in the fabric section of eBay - not meaning to buy anything of course - and there was this pure wool worsted suiting which I just had to have - 4.2 metres.

Then I saw some purple tartenish cloth - and now I have a whole 18 metre bolt of it. The set is 8 inches

I can pleat it to the stripe three ways, and so get a light a medium and a dark version, so that will be keeping me busy for some time - and I won't be able to get the spacing wrong with the stripes to guide me. I'll just have to think of what to do with the rest whilst I am working.

I started off interested in making kilts, became addicted and now I think I might be getting obsessed.

I have spent more on clothing myself this month that in most previous years.

[GMan]

Funny how our clothing budget has increased. Great isn't it?

[Pleater]

OOO - hooo

I just unrolled 18 metres of cloth - just to check that it is all in good condition, of course.

It is a tartan format, with black, lavender and purple wide stripes with grids of narrow stripes in the same colours. It has the narrow lavender in the black stripe, purple in the lavender stripe and black in the purple stripe.

It should look pretty good in all three versions.

The material is brushed, so I will have to make it up with the wrong side out, so the twill will run the wrong way.

The only way to get it to run the right way would be to cut it across the piece, and join it - but I don't think I will be doing that. I don't think it is a real tartan - though I could be wrong, I'm no expert - it is just a bit too purple looking.

[Shay]

The only way to get it to run the right way would be to cut it across the piece, and join it - but I don't think I will be doing that.

It's not as hard as you'd think- especially if you make the joins where the inside fold of a pleat would be. I've done that once, and I'm still halfway through the damn corduroy, but if I had actual stripes to match up it would probably be a snap!

[CameronTaylor]

Funny how our clothing budget has increased. Great isn't it?

I've noticed that too, almost a grand went to "he must not be named" alone last year, this year I expect monetary distributions to Vancouver Island, Ontario(province that be), Washington state, and possibly New York as well.
Thank God for overtime.


CT -

[Pleater]

It's not as hard as you'd think- especially if you make the joins where the inside fold of a pleat would be. I've done that once, and I'm still halfway through the damn corduroy, but if I had actual stripes to match up it would probably be a snap!

Yes - that is what I have done with every kilt I've made so far - but I have, potentially, two pieces of 19.5 yards each. I was just visualising an all in one piece kilt

However, if pleated to the wide lavender/narrow purple stripe the pleats fall so that I get 8 pleats across this rather wide cloth and the selveges fall just right to form the inner edges - so perhaps I will try that first. It should look good, as would pleating to the sett - so there's another option to add to the list. Box pleats to the lavender stripe might look good too.

As the set is 8 inches and I usually work to a starting length of 24 inches that would mean no wasting fabric to match the stripes horisontally, so it would fit well - 4 strips to make a 6.5yard kilt, 5 strips to make an 8 - and only needing 2 and 2/3rd and 3 and 1/3rd yards running length respectively, and the twill will run the right way.

So many kilts to sew - so few hours in the day.

I'll just have to reach a healthy weight and stop having to remake kilts every few weeks.

Making kilts is, apparently, good for the diet - I have lost weight faster since starting to make and wear kilts.

First I spend my spare time sewing rather than eating or even shopping and secondly I know I have some nice belts which are just that little bit too tight to wear now - but at Christmas they would not even meet.

[UmAnOnion]

Making kilts is, apparently, good for the diet - I have lost weight faster since starting to make and wear kilts.

between reading all the posts on here & looking for fabrics & sitting at the sewing machine & pleating til my fingers cramp - who has time to eat?!?!?!?!?

I got it BAD, and that aint good.... :mrgreen: