Making my first kilt

[Barb T]

In my experience, few tartans are exactly the same in two halves of a double width. I've had to deal with tartan that is more than 1/2" wider on one side of the fold than the other. So, I always check to make sure that I use the wider half for the apron and the narrower (more tightly woven half) for the underapron. I inadvertently did the reverse once for a kilt I made for my daughter when I was first making kilts, and the underapron was forever hanging below the top apron because that half about 3/8" wider. *headdesk* So, I always check to make sure I'm using the wider piece for the top apron.

At the join, you don't have to wet the tartan - just stretch it a bit for the tartan stripes to line up. Pressing will take care of everything else.

In terms of what part of the tartan falls at the apron edge - that depends on the size of the person and how you've chosen to pleat the kilt. Most of the time, there is little choice given the amount of tartan you have and the size of the person. If the kilt is pleated to the sett, you truly don't have any choice (short of putting in a hidden pleat). If pleating to the stripe, you do have a choice of center apron stripe, and you can, if you want, dink around with what the edge of the apron looks like against the pleats. In all the years I've made kilts, I've only ever had one person who was specific about it. But, to my mind, it truly doesn't matter. My experience is that the kilt will look good regardless.

Here are a few examples of letting the apron edge be where it needs to be, instead of trying to engineer a "look". Personally, I find them all acceptable. Do they look "seamless" between apron and pleats? No. But remember that the apron edge is going to be a diagonal line in almost all kilts, so the look CAN'T be seamless. And also remember that, once the basting is out, the pleats look very different from the apron, so no one really expects a seamless transition. None of the ones below were engineered for a particular "look" at the edge of the apron.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ed-kilt-90859/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-straps-89726/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-colors-89109/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-colors-87967/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...an-kilt-87763/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ie-kilt-84115/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ng-sett-83779/