Can it be done? This would be MONSTER of a conversion

**NorCalPiper** · 1st December 10, 02:23 PM

OK....I'm gonna go for it. I'm heading out to buy some magnifying glasses. Should I soak the fabric and repress it after it dries?

**Pleater** · 2nd December 10, 02:51 PM

I find working in a good clear light really helps to show up the stitches, the sewing thread can be an exact match for colour but it still shows up due to it being shinier than the fabric.

You might consider only unpicking as much as is necessary to alter the apron, if that is possible.

If you do go ahead and deconstruct the whole kilt, give it a gentle wash in slightly warm water in the bathtub or other large container - keep the washing and rinsing water at the same temperature and don't agitate it more than necessary to work the water through the fabric.

Leave the fabric overnight to drain and partly dry. Fan fold it - that is like /\/\/\/\/\/\ but flatter so it doesn't acquire extra creases. Next day find the inside surface and iron it lightly. You might need to go over the entire length several times but it is better to take the time using a warm iron than bash it with a hot one.

If the fabric dries out before the creases give in then use a damp cloth and slightly hotter iron, and press rather than iron. You should find that the fabric will return to a smooth flat strip and irregularities from the kilt making will vanish away.

I would not recomend soaking, stretching or sunlight - all are detremental to wool. Sunlight on wet wool can scorch it so it has a brown crisp surface, as though toasted.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Dixiecat** · 3rd December 10, 10:14 AM

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...en=17204762439

An Ott light or similar product helps a great deal in seeing what you are doing. Bright sunlight is even better!

I'm confused tho, if it's only the apron flare that bothers you, how come you don't address that instead of going full tilt into a box pleat conversion?

**NorCalPiper** · 4th December 10, 09:50 AM

Funny you mentioned that. After reading Matt's comments and speaking with me Mom, I've decided to just do that. Before and after pics soon.

**Barb T** · 4th December 10, 11:41 AM

So, I see from your previous post that you're going to just address the flare issue. But for others who might see this post and are contemplating a complete reconstruction project, I agree with Chas. If you have a knife-pleated kilt that's made in the traditional way, you will not be able to turn it into a box pleated kilt or, in fact, re-do the pleats, because the material in the pleats above the bottom of the fell is cut out to reduce bulk. So, if you took the kilt completely apart, you wouldn't have an uninterrupted length of fabric. Instead, you'd have 20-30 4-6"-wide chunks cut out of one side of the fabric. That can't be made into a box pleated kilt.

And, to be honest, it is so darned much work to unstitch a kilt that I would sell the darn thing and buy a new length of kilting tartan. You'd likely break even on the cost of the tartan (not even considering how much time it would take to unstitch the kilt).

**NorCalPiper** · 4th December 10, 10:41 PM

Hi All-
Its actually a casual kilt, so the constraints to be found with such a project and a proper 8 yarder aren't there. Converting this would be challenging, but doable. The main problem for me is the way the apron is constructed. Again (After a careful explanation from Mama), the apron is cut like a kilted skirt, meaning there iis no A-frame construction. Its as wide at the top as it is at the bottom. The first pleat and the reverse pleat play a sort of trick by flaring out to give the illusion of an apron shaped properly. I'm going to reshape and sew and see how I feel about doing more. i have enough kilts to make as it is, so I'm not sure this will ever REALLY get done.........I will say that it is an exquisite tartan, so I want to try and get this reshaped to a point that I feel good wearing it.

**Pleater** · 5th December 10, 05:11 AM

This will probably arrive without formating, so bear with me. Something seems to be a bit awry.Could you get away with simply repressing the apron into the shape it wants to be, taking advantage of the flare in the pleats - or am I not visualising the problem correctly.I put in under apron pleats in my kilts and if I do not sew them out of line at the waist band they roll outwards. I have to lift the inner fold so there is a long thin triangle of double fabric, shortening the inner fold and pulling the pleats into line. Perhaps some similar tactic could cause a reshaping - dropping the inner fold would push fabric out Anne the Pleater :ootd: