# of pleats

[bricelythgoe]

Rocky,

I have a couple of questions. I am looking at your semi-traditional kilt. My waist is 36 and my hip measurement is about 41. How many pleats would I have? Also, I would this be classified a 5 yard kilt, 8 yard, or does it not matter for semi-trad?

Also, do you ever have any discounts on this kilt. For example, sales or returns?

Thanks,

Brice

[pdcorlis]

Actually I think its hip size, fabric length, and sett size that help determine number of pleats and reveal size.

I could be wrong since I'm no Master Kiltmaker.

[bricelythgoe]

As you can tell, I have no clue. But I guess they might need to know what tartan I would want.

[KiltedDawg]

My semi-trads (4) are made to a 46" hip measurement. They appear to have around 21-23 pleats each and and made very close to an 8 yds. kilt. Some are pleated to the stripe and others to the sett. Overall, a great product! Hope this helps.

[pdcorlis]

If you can, give Rocky a call. He is a wonderful resource and is more than happy to help the rest of us understand the complexities of kilt calculations. By the way - that goes for all our other fine kilt makers too, but since you posted in USAKilts... well - you know...

Cheers

[Alan H]

sighs, and starts out on the lecture yet AGAIN, this time with supplements

The key here is hip measurement. Your hip measurement is 41 inches. Now, THINK.

Isn't half of a kilt in front and half in back? Right. So that means that approximately half of those 41 inches is going to be covered in pleats, right? That means 20-21 inches...let's call it 21.

Most of Rocky's semi-traditionals that I've seen are pleated to stripe, though he DOES pleat them to sett.. OK, so what happens is that you get one pleat per sett, when you pleat to stripe. You use up fabric a little bit faster if you pleat to sett, though. Anyway, in other words, if your kilt had a 1-inch pleat reveal, there would be 20-21 pleats across your rumpus, right...if you pleated to stripe? That would use up 20 - 21 setts of fabric.

if your kilt had a 3/4 inch pleat reveal, then it would have 21 divided by .75 = 28 pleats. I've never seen a Semi-trad on anybody with that many pleats in back.

Look at this thread.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/m...hlight=MaCleod

It has a picture of Panache wearing a USA Kilts Semi-Traditional in the MacLeod tartan, viewed from the back. It's pleated to sett (not stripe) if you look VERY carefully, you can get a close estimate as to how many pleats it has. Panache has the kilt sitting a bit off-center, the red stripe should be right down the middle of his back, it's the center-back pleat. You can count how many pleats show to the right of that center-back pleat.....about ten.

ten to the right, ten to the left and the center-back pleat....that's 21 pleats.

I HAPPEN to know that Panache's hip measurement is 40 inches. Well, lookie at that. Half of 40 inches is 20-21 inches....and Panaches Semi-Traditional kilt in MacLeod, Polyester-Viscose has 21 pleats. Seems like that must be one inch pleat reveals, eh?

So your kilt will have, most likely, one-inch pleat reveals. It will have right about 20-21 pleats since your butt measurement is the same as Panaches'

How much material will be in this kilt? It totally..TOTALLY depends on the sett size of the tartan that you pick. We can estimate how many yards are in Panache's kilt like this... Look at the picture again.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/m...hlight=MaCleod

We know that the pleat reveals are one-inch, right? OK, so right at the bottom of the fell, how many pleats are there from the center-back red line to the next red line? The answer is eight.

Let's double-check....Panache's kilt length is around 23 - 25 inches, and probably is right about 24. If that's the case and the sett is about 8 inches, then there should be three repeats of the sett from waistband to selvedge in his kilt. Are there? Yes.....

So now we know that the sett size is about 8 inches. We can calculate, roughly (plus or minus maybe 2 setts-worth of cloth) how much material is in Panache's USA Kilts semi-traditional kilt.

1 yard for the over apron and kick pleat
1 yard for the under-apron and reverse pleat.

8 inches/sett X 21 setts = 168 inches of cloth in the pleats. That's 4.6 yards.

So, all told, there's about 6.6 yards of fabric in Panache's USA Kilts semi-traditional kilt. In fact it is probably a bit more than that because it' is pleated to sett, not stripe. Presumeably, since you are about the same size, there would be between 6 - 7 yards of fabric in your USA Kilts semi-traditional kilt, as well. The precise number would depend on the sett size of the tartan you picked, and whether you opted to pleat to sett or stripe.

NOTHING I did up above, is beyond the capabilities of anyone who has never in their lives made a kilt before, but know the very basics about how a kilt is made..

[pdcorlis]

Well done Alan - You know that's one reason I suggest anyone really interested in kilts pick up a copy of Barb T's book - The Art of Kiltmaking. Even if you don't plan on making a kilt yourself it will sure enlighten you as to all that goes into a properly made kilt!

[Alan H]

I take it back....what I just performed in my previous post is pure, absolute Black Magic. I have performed ancient pagan ritual and recited incantations to be gifted with this knowledge and talent. I also have studied for decades in order to be able to perform the miracles of kilted mastermindery that you just witnessed in the above post.

And this...ALL THIS...X-Markers...this intuition, this brilliance, this insight, this experience, yes, verily this ONENESS WITH KILTDOM can be brought to bear upon the....

...I almost said "manufacture", but such a lowly word does not suggest the true artistry, bordering on magic, that can be brought to bear on the creation of YOUR NEXT KILT.

For a small fee, say six hundred dollars, I will consider if I would be interested in creating your next kilt.....a mere pittance when you consider what you have just witnessed.

PM me.

[bricelythgoe]

Man, Alan, I feel a little bad right now. I feel like I am taking advantage or your extensive knowledge and wasting your time on these frivolous questions. I appreciate your help.

[pdcorlis]

One question oh wise one - do you use thread from Jason's Golden Fleece?