Pleat resources

Happy to. I bought, and read several times *before* I started, "The Art of Kiltmaking" by Barbara Tewksbury and Elsie Stuehmeyer. ISBN 0-9703751-0-7 I read it and went through the steps in my mind until I was pretty sure I understood exactly what was meant. Pay special attention to the way the pleats are basted for pressing, and the detailed instructions for pressing.

I read everything on these two sites: Traditional: this has very good illustrations: example of "pleating to the sett" is here: you are making a Highland dance competition kilt, you should read all the information here: was very fortunate in having a local originally-from-Scotland woman who made kilts for several of the local dancers who very generously mentored me through some of more arcane bits, like the bound belt opening, and the hidden growth pleat. Is this the info you want? I also have tons of bookmarks for authentic tartan, custom made hose, and other gear if you need them.

Beverly

Hi Beverly,

although it was AK who asked I'm very interested in all those links, too. Remember, my brother's into Scottish country dancing and I might be able to do something for him some day. So if you wouldn't mind I'd be very grateful, too. ;-)

U. - Nah, I'm not putting more on my plate than I can eat... LOL

I just finished an embroidery project I worked on all day for a shirt I want to wear tomorrow, and I'm starved. I'll get back to you after I eat something. Are you interested in online shops for tartan fabric? Or hose? Or jackets? Or???

B

Beverly

Oh dear, no rush here! Take your time, I'm just gathering information, storing it for 'bad times'. So I would be interested in basically everything that has to do with dancer's outfits (if you perchance know a source for shoes - they seem to cost a fortune). Mind you, a source for tartan fabric wouldn't be too bad for myself, either, one never knows. I really like tartan. My brother chose Graham of Menteith modern for his kilt (nice one), and I think that there are a lot of attractive colour combinations around. Here in Germany you can wear tartan without risking anybody asking you if you really belong to that clan. ;-) I just can't resist high quality fabric, even if I don't find anything to make it into. Still got a couple of meters of black silk velvet in my stash... A dream, but far too precious to make into anything yet. ;-)

U.

Beverly, I had put 'pleat resources' in the subject line but asked for the kilt info in the body. But I didn't really need the formal kilt directions, especially the math. Sorry.

I'm trying to pleat a wrap around skirt out of a plaid homespun. I decided to pleat it because it was such a lightweight fabric I thought it would give it more substance. I have instructions from another source but they are confusing and want to get a double check.

I've pieced together three 44" wide pieces and have another 12" piece of fabric for the underlap. The piece I want to pleat (without) the underlap is 126" long. My waist is 44". The instructions I have are: Step 1: Turn left and right side up 1/4" and stitch. Then, turn left side under again 4" and press. Step 2: Begin to measure from left side and 'pinmark' for pleats. You will be making as many pleats as your waist measurement in inches. Then it gives in illustration: It shows a turn of fabric, no dimensions, then 1", pin 1, 2" pleat, pin 2,

3"pleat, pin 3, 3"pleat, pin 4, 3"pleat, pin5 etc. Step 3: Pin pleats in place. Bring pin #2 to meet pin # 1. Bring pin #3 to meet the back fold of pleat #1=pleat 2. Bring pin #4 to meet the back fold of pleat #2=pleat 3.

There are more instructions but they do not influence the making of the pleats.

I've tried it out on a scrap. It took a length of 23" down to 8 inches. This comes out to be about 3:1. Therein is the rub. What is a consistant formula, without going into calculus or even algebra to figure out if I should follow these instructions out to the end or do I need to skip some distance between pleats and then...how much?

I'm confused.

AK in PA

Ok, I misunderstood what you needed. See below...

26"/44" would make each pleat 2.86". So if each pleat is 1" wide, you'd have 1.86" "inside" the pleat.

So am I. I can't wrap my head around all of that. Sorry. :-(

When I made the Nationals skirt for DGD, I divided her waist measurement (25.25") by .75" (the approximate size of the pleat face I wanted to use) and then divided the resulting number (33.66) into the total inches of fabric (less 6" for laps), which was about 160 inches IIRC. That computation resulted in a measurement of 4 13/16" inches for every pleat, with 34 pleats total. So I marked the first 3" for the underlap, marked the first pleat, and then continued to place a pin at 4 13/16" inches all across the fabric, making sure I came out at the far end with enough fabric to underlap the first pleat. I made a cardboard measuring rule on which I marked the .75" (pleat face) and the 4 13/16" inches (total pleat) marks, and basted each pleat. Maybe these pictures will help:

AAAK! That should have read "126"/44" would....". I don't want to confuse you....more... ;-}

Beverly

No, I misstated what I needed.

Thanks Beverly. I'll keep this on file with my patterns. I would have ended up 11" short if I'd gone ahead with my interpretation. I'll try to post some pics when done.

AK in PA

I'm so glad I finally understood your question, and hope my information proves helpful. I don't know exactly how I originally came up with the math string for figuring it out, trial and error I guess. I've been making pleated skirts since high school......about 53 years. ;-}

Beverly

I haven't forgotten you! ;-) Here are a few of the sites I have bookmarked (keeping in mind I sew for a young girl):

also have men's shoes: checked each of those to be sure they are still working URLs. I have not actually purchased anything from most of them, they are just in my collection of sources for "someday". ;-)

NAYY,

Beverly

Great stuff, I checked them out. There's a lot of expensive stuff to get if you're really into the matter, eh? Handmade hose, now really! ;-) I'll bookmark and keep them, just as you do, for 'someday'. Thanks a lot!

U.

The custom made hose are made to exactly match the tartan chosen for the kilt. They are made of wool, and can either be standard (seamless) or full-fashioned. For the time being, DGD is wearing a pair made to go with her borrowed competition kilt, but once she decides on a tartan and I make her a new kilt we will be having custom hose made to go with it. And they run into fairly big $$$:

Those are argyles! I used to knit them in a fingering weight wool. They're fun to knit.

I'm sure in lighter weight wool yarn, and knit to mid-calf length they would be called argyles. The custom hose knit for dancers are fairly heavy and they go to great lengths to match as closely as possible the colors and pattern of the dancer's kilt tartan. They are also knee length with a turned-back cuff, the girls wear an elastic band under the cuff to keep them in place. DGD's teacher has offered to take measurements on her next trip to Scotland so we can have custom hose made for her new kilt.

Maybe you'd like to take a shot at it? ;-)

Beverly

Thanks for the invite, but not at this time.

Huh??? Sounded to me like it was something you would welcome taking on. ;->

Beverly

*Pfffffttt* Tell ya what. Next time I'm 15 again, ask me and I'll probably be glad to do it.

Actually, they can be done on a knitting machine now. It's intarsia. I did them on four needles, and blew my home ec teacher away. She couldn't even knit and purl. It was my way of avoiding the awful way they taught sewing - with all the measuring and basting and checking every step before going on, so that it took a semester to make an apron. I learned knitting from a "how-to" booklet.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. ;-)

I very nearly failed Home Ec, I knew more than the teacher and didn't hide the fact. :-}

I learned knitting from my mother who had this odd technique of keeping one needle (the left-hand one) stationary and anchored in one's lap (that may be common, but I've never seen anyone else knit like that). I love knitting that way, keeps my hands from tiring, but having learned that way I never could manage knitting on in-the-round needles, or the four double-pointed needles for sox and other seamless stuff. When I knit sweaters for my dog, I alter the pattern so a seam runs into and down the tiny little "sleeve".

Beverly

I learned to knit in England, where the technique is to keep the right hand needle firmly anchored in the right armpit, leaving the rh free to manoeuvre the yarn. When I switch to a circular needle, I also have to switch to knitting continental style.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.