A Military box pleat kilt

[way2fractious]

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

First - have a little patience. If anything comes of discussions regarding Barb T publishing the step-by-step instructions for an MBP (to the stripe), that might make it a bit easier. If it requires writing and publishing those instructions separately, then so be it. After that, it's a simple mind shift in order to pleat an MBP to the sett.

The real secret to making any kilt - in any pleating style, knife, box, mil-box, Kinguisse, and any other - is to start at the bottom of the fell (the hip line) and mark out the reveals. That one thing alone - what to show - drives everything else in the pleats and other construction techniques.

After that critical step, all other steps for sewing the tapers to the waist, fashioning aprons, placing buttonholes, installing canvas, linings and hardware, etc. vary only slightly from style to style. Even the pleats from hip to hem are fashioned and held for pressing by one of very few basting techniques.

So, for the next few days/weeks/months just put your feet up and, with your favorite liquid refreshment at hand, watch the sun spin around the earth a few times.

... patience ...

[way2fractious]

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!
.

Hmmm... did someone say "Kilt Night" in Arizona?

[JohnH]

Thank you all for the compliments. I must admit to being surprised that it turned out so well for a second attempt.

To the sett? TO THE SETT!!! (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)

I must confess that my original comment had been somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but why not do it that way? It's just a knife pleat kilt with the outside end of the pleat folded back on itself. (Yeah, right. Plus a silly amount of extra basting.) So, I did a quick pinup test on the centre leftover strip just to see if it would work. It did, so I guess I've been hoist on my own petard! It will take longer than one done to the stripe as you have to work with 7 or 8 different bits of the sett instead of just the dominant stripe. I'll have to study the part of the book that deals with the matter.

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. (w2f)

That would make an impressive fringe. If I may, I'll use it on my next one.

[JohnH]

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!!! (Pleater)

Sorry Pleater, w2f has suggested that I put up or shut up so, here goes.

<OT> I don't know if the Moderators would prefer this as a separate thread or not. Suggestions? </OT>

The sett on the (small sett, 11oz.) Douglas tartan is 89mm. Divide that by 7 to get 12.7mm. For me, the pleats (31) need to be 13.4mm at the hip. So, when this is done, the sett on the back will appear to be 7 x 13.4 = 94mm. Not enough of a difference to notice.



The number of bits needed to reproduce the sett (typically 6-9) will depend on several factors. The Douglas is a fairly simple tartan. If yours is more complicated, see The Book starting at page 59.

Again, begin the project by measuring and marking the cloth as for a knife
pleat kilt. The difference for the MBP will become apparent when you start to fold the cloth. For a knife pleat, the reveal will be on top at the right hand side of the pleat.



For the MBP, it is UNDERNEATH at the right hand side of the pleat. You have to fold over the right hand side of the pleat to "reveal" the bit that will end up on the visible side. (You can see in the next pic that the visible bit of the previous pleat ends up being repeated at the beginning of the folded bit of the next pleat. i.e. underneath on the right hand side)
Argh! My brain hurts...



Same cloth, same markings, just folded differently.



This pic shows that it is possible to make an MBP kilt to the sett.

This project should keep me out of mischief for quite a while. I'll post as I
complete milestones. To give you some idea here is a pic of the first sett (There will be 4 setts.) with the pleats folded and basted.

[JohnH]

Well, I have finally managed to baste all 31 pleats. I ended up with 5 setts across the back rather than the 4 I mentioned before. (My brain did not explode, but it looked for a while as though it might.) [Beware, this is much more time-consuming than pleating to the stripe!]

w2f nailed it when he said that the key is careful marking at the hip line. Measure and mark the pleats as if you were going to make a knife-pleat kilt. The only difference is that it has to be folded differently and each edge of the pleat extension (defined by your marks) has to be basted from top to bottom, not forgetting to taper from hip to waist, but not in the rise.

I used a card-stock pleat template to make sure each pleat was properly shaped. That is not as necessary if you pleat to the stripe as each bit is the same and after the first few, you can eyeball it. For pleating to the sett, you are using several bits of the sett and, for the solid colour blocks, extra chalk marks will be helpful.



Sewing the pleats will be next, but the rest of the project is quite straightforward.

[Pleater]

That is just - WOW!!

It is going to look very sharp - I think - can't wait for the finished picture.

So how much fabric is in the 31 pleats?

NOT that I am really interested in doing one, of course.

[AtagahiKC]

This has been a fantastic thread. I intend on learning how to do this style of kilt. I have a reproduction from What Price Glory and I love the swing of the kilt. But it is too hot to wear outside of Canada during the coldest winter night.

i think that if done in 16 oz tartan, it would be much more wearable and still have the swing.

[mkmound]

Well, I have finally managed to baste all 31 pleats. I ended up with 5 setts across the back rather than the 4 I mentioned before. (My brain did not explode, but it looked for a while as though it might.) [Beware, this is much more time-consuming than pleating to the stripe!]

w2f nailed it when he said that the key is careful marking at the hip line. Measure and mark the pleats as if you were going to make a knife-pleat kilt. The only difference is that it has to be folded differently and each edge of the pleat extension (defined by your marks) has to be basted from top to bottom, not forgetting to taper from hip to waist, but not in the rise.

I used a card-stock pleat template to make sure each pleat was properly shaped. That is not as necessary if you pleat to the stripe as each bit is the same and after the first few, you can eyeball it. For pleating to the sett, you are using several bits of the sett and, for the solid colour blocks, extra chalk marks will be helpful.



Sewing the pleats will be next, but the rest of the project is quite straightforward.

WOW!! That is amazing work!! Congrats! Can't wait to see the finished product.

[JohnH]

Thank you all for the compliments.

So how much fabric is in the 31 pleats? (Pleater)

If my sums are correct, 5.58m. I started with 8m and, after I had measured and marked, There was less than .5m left over! (This is how you manage to make a full 8 yard kilt for a 30" waist! Done by the usual rules you would be lucky to use 6 yards.)

NOT that I am really interested in doing one, of course. (Pleater)

Of course not, it's just an intellectual exercise, right?

I have a reproduction from What Price Glory and I love the swing of the kilt. But it is too hot to wear outside of Canada during the coldest winter night. (AtagahiKC)

The 18oz. works very well during the winter up here in the Great White North, but, once the temps. go much above freezing, forget it. The kilt that I made at the start of this thread (and this latest one) were made from 11oz. poly/wool. It is very comfortable now that we are in the hot, hazy, humid season. 13 and 16oz. should work well in more temperate climates, like, for instance, Dorset in the south of England. ()

Strangely enough, the light weight (11oz.) kilt also swings well even though it weighs a lot less than a military kilt. That is probably due to the extra material used. (And, the elastic ensures that the pleats all tend to move together.)

[Wompet]

When this is finished, you are definitely going to have to join us at a SOKS kilt night. We are going to want to see it in person.