A Military box pleat kilt

[Mr. MacDougall]

I'll drive down to Arizona with my whole kollection (threaten, threaten)

Well, we do have the Flagstaff games coming up, if you'd like to visit!

BTW - did you mean to buy a box pleat from Matt or an MBP from me?

Are you sure that's an "or" question?

I think this is what MacDougall is looking for:
pleating styles compared

Thank you... between the photos and the diagram, I believe I understand. What I'm not clear on is why anyone would pleat that way in the first place... I mean, I understand now that it's a traditional style, and it gives more 'swish,' and so on... but why would anyone look at a length of cloth, all those years ago, and think, "Ah! Let's do it this way!"?

[Pleater]

. What I'm not clear on is why anyone would pleat that way in the first place... I mean, I understand now that it's a traditional style, and it gives more 'swish,' and so on... but why would anyone look at a length of cloth, all those years ago, and think, "Ah! Let's do it this way!"?

I think it is the solution I needed to find, and missed, when I wanted to make a box pleated kilt with more fabric in it.

I progressed from the three layered box pleat, by extending the folds so it was five layers, but I never made the next step of extending the innermost fold over onto the next box, to make seven layers.

The evolution of the military style from a simple box pleated kilt rather than a knife pleat is I think the most likely - and it does seem to provide a 'missing link' for the development of the modern knife pleated kilt from the box pleated.

[JohnH]

I have finally finished it! I made one (more!) mistake. I forgot to add the elastic before pressing. I added it later and it does not seem to matter when it is added. It definitely improves the swish!





I did do one thing differently from the book. (Sorry Barb!) I added a triple fringe as I think it looks better than a double one. (As far as I know, genuine military kilts are not fringed. Probably because the Army thinks that they would soon get messed up! Or that the soldiers would forget to comb them!) Follow the instructions on p. 99 of The Book, but take a wider piece of scrap, fold it with an edge offset of about 8mm., (About 5/16”) stitch it down (I used a machine.) and press it. Then, fringe all 3 layers to 8mm. Carry on as per the instructions and the total fringe width ends up the same as two ½” fringes.




I used a black top band only because my local fabric store did not stock the usual grass-green one. (I had to finish it by hand as my machine stopped dead when it got to the double layer of canvas at the end of the apron (and I thought it was heavy duty.))

A final thought: both of my ex-military kilts have the twill lines running the wrong way! Apart from that, they are perfect. (Is this an officer/other ranks thing, or, is it not actually specified in the Specification?) (I just noticed that the twill also runs the wrong way on my Buchanan ex-Sierra Pipeband kilt. It's visible in the fringe pic.)

Now I have to decide what to do with the other half of the fabric.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

Congratulations on a job well done-that's a beautiful piece of work!

Be well,

[way2fractious]

Very nice work. The kilt came out beautifully. The inside of the pleats showed that your work was meticulous.

...elastic... triple fringe... black top band... twill lines...other half of the fabric...

There is no elastic band in my MBP, probably because I was not trying to recreate a military kilt (or because I was too lazy.) When I restore the old Seaforth Highlander kilt it will be be there.

I have never, ever, liked offset fringes, especially those little bristle-like 3/8-inch things on some commercial kilts. Give me a REAL fringed edge! So I use a five-inch piece, fringe both sides to a full 1/2-inch, fold one edge behind the other, and line it up behind the fringed fabric edge for a triple layer, but not offset or staggered.

The top band on my Weathered MacLaren MBP is made, as traditional for a civilian kilt, from the same tartan.

Earlier threads discussing twill lines ultimately reached the conclusion that most modern weaving machines and techniques produce tartan fabric that is indistinguishable between right side and wrong side. Look at any rack of rental kilts (or, kilts for hire) and 50% will be right side and 50% will be wrong side. It's probably the same in the military kiltmaking shops, where speed is paramount to niggly little details such as this.

Now you can carry through on your "threat" or "challenge" to Pleater (shame on you for toying so callously with her mind!) and fashion the other half into an MBP pleated to the sett.

Again, impressive work. We'll have to correspond further after the Kilt Kamp.

w2f

[McMurdo]

John that looks wonderful congratulations on a job well done I am looking forward to seeing this kilt in person.

[Alan H]

FANTASTIC job! OK, I am impressed.

manual, manual, manual **chanting** A military box pleat supplement to The Art of Kiltmaking!!

OK, OK I'll shush up, now

[Pleater]

Now you can carry through on your "threat" or "challenge" to Pleater (shame on you for toying so callously with her mind!) and fashion the other half into an MBP pleated to the sett.

w2f

Not list'ning!!! got my fingers in my ears DAAH DEE DEE DAAH - can't hear anything about pleating a MB to the sett. OH!!!!

BUGGER!!!!!

Not dooin it no no no way - not even thinking about it.

So how would you even start ....? I mean - no no no!!!

[Retro Red]

I'll drive down to Arizona with my whole kollection (threaten, threaten)

Hey, w2f, if you come to Arizona you can personally inspect the military box pleats of the Royal Regiment of Scotland kilt I'll be receiving, soon!
.

[Don Patrick]

I think this is what MacDougall is looking for:
pleating styles compared

Well, if he isn't, I am.
Just kidding - but once I find that right tartan, you'll be getting a passel of PMs from me when I attempt mine.

Glad I saw this post. I sure that when I go after my first tartan it will be a block pleat.