Making a 4-yard, Box Pleat in the California Tartan:an ongoing thread

[Kiltman]

Alan,
At first it seemed hard to believe one rips tartan. Now I actually look forward to it. Nothing but straight lines. I couldn't get such a straight line with cutting it. But I do have to admit 16oz fabric is hard to rip.

[Alan H]

I gotta say.... so what if you get a truly perfectly straight line?

I mean, tartan has tons of little lines woven into it, all parallel. It's not like it's hard to get out a good pair of scizzors and cut right along a line, ormidway between two close lines. When I cut it I only vary from dead straight by 2-3 threads, which is totally irrelevant, and there's zero risk of disaster.

Sure it'd be nice to have an absolutely straight cut/tear, but does the 1/16th of an inch variance really matter? No. Every raw edge in a kilt except the end-to-end join is buried anyway, so ravelling is not an issue. No raw edge is seen, because it's buried in the waistband,and I cut a lot more accurately than I sew.. Those end-to-end joins in the back of the pleats are raw edges, too and you know....the folks at the shop that cut your tartan out of the bolt use scizzors. You have to finish off that join by either overlocking the raw edge or folding it under anyway, so once again....no raw edge is really seen.

My In-laws dropped $150 on tartan for this kilt. If there is the *slightest* risk of a tear going awry, there's no way I'm going to take that chance, for no real benefit, when I can cut it out and take NO risk.

Just my opinion. If someone can tell me why tearing and getting a perfectly straight line is much superior to cutting and getting an almost perfectly straight line, I'm willing to listen.

[Barb T]

I commonly cut 16 oz tartan, because I find that the threads are so strong that many of them "pull" before they tear, leaving little tracks in the fabric next to the rip. I've experimented with pulling harder and faster, but I still have the problem. Maybe if I had bulging biceps I could avoid this.

Has anyone else seen this when they rip tartan??

B

[Angus]

I commonly cut 16 oz tartan, because I find that the threads are so strong that many of them "pull" before they tear, leaving little tracks in the fabric next to the rip. I've experimented with pulling harder and faster, but I still have the problem. Maybe if I had bulging biceps I could avoid this.

Has anyone else seen this when they rip tartan??

B

13oz rips clean for me, was allot easier than cutting. Have you noticed that it makes a little edge that is impervious to unraveling? I haven't ripped 16oz yet. Kinda shy of ripping $80 Scottish wool, its stupid I know, but I just see that tear going off sideways and ruining the cloth.....When I get the nerve Ill let you know how it went.

I think that you cant be gentle, you gotta put some muscle into it. YMMV...

Alan H.
I know I am the wrong person to be saying this, but I would really like to see some pics of you putting it together.

[Barb T]

I agree that 13 oz rips fine. It's just the 16 oz that I have trouble with. Even when I pull hard and fast, I have trouble with the little tracks. Maybe it's because I'm little and don't have much leverage.

B

[way2fractious]

Those who make lots of kilts rip the wool tartan for two good reasons: 1) it gets the job done quickly, without having to pull a couple more threads and pick up lots of little thread bits, and 2) it produces the straight line with built-in ravel-resistance mentioned earlier. I've cut both 13 oz and 16 oz, and ripped both weights of wool also. Ripping is generally preferable; cutting is perfectly acceptable.

Fabrics other than wool are cut. Most do not rip easily. Even cotton broadcloth, which does rip, leaves a curled edge which needs to be ironed flat again.

[Eujeankilt]

I just read about ripping wool fabric in Barb's book this past weekend. Could someone explain the technique? Do you just grab it and pull or do you hold down the stationary edge and pull straight back? I'm trying to picture it, having never seen it done before.

(Obviously, I'm considering making a wool, tartan kilt and inquiring minds want to know)

Thanks in advance,

Dale

[ccga3359]

If someone can tell me why tearing and getting a perfectly straight line is much superior to cutting and getting an almost perfectly straight line, I'm willing to listen.

It make it look like you know what you're doing! I'm with you though it would just make me cringe to do that. I remember installing a roof rack on my car. Drilling the first hole took me an hour an a heck of a lot of sweating bullets.

[Kilted Taper]

...when I can cut it out and take NO risk.

When scissors are involved, there is ALWAYS a risk!

[ccga3359]

When scissors are involved, there is ALWAYS a risk!

As in "I cut it twice, and it's still too short!"

BTW you didn't get your screen name from a tartan ripping incident did you?