I'm lost, lost, lost!

[JoliBelle]

Hey y'all! I'm here to try to figure out what in the heck I'm doing - I'm kinda lost. I'm an advanced seamstress (I make historical clothing), however I'm waaaaay over my head! My dear husband, believing that if I can sew ballgowns, I should surely be able to whip up a kilt with no problems, surprised me with 3.5 yards, 16oz MacLeod weathered hunting tartan. It's a double width, however I am to make a kilt for my adult son as well. He bought me TAoK, along with the supplement so I can make them box pleated.
I really need videos or something to help me! I am more kinesthetic in my learning style, along with needing visual examples. I'm so lost in this! I pick up the book, pick up what I've done so far (I think I've mostly been winging it) and then toss both and don't know what to do. Somebody, anybody, please help!

[Steve Ashton]

When you say "I picked up the book" do you mean "The Art of Kiltmaking" by Barb Tewksbury?

[OC Richard]

3.5 yards, 16oz MacLeod weathered hunting tartan. It's a double width, however I am to make a kilt for my adult son as well.

Yes that would give you 3.5 yards per kilt, which I suppose is possible. Matt Newsome has done much to revive the historical 4 yard boxpleated kilt, he's written a number of online articles, you might search him and see what information is out there.

He bought me TAoK along with the supplement so I can make them box pleated.
I really need videos or something to help me! I am more kinesthetic in my learning style, along with needing visual examples.

I think by far the best thing especially for kinesthetic learners is to take a hands-on kiltmaking workshop. Books and videos are fine but there's nothing like getting the cloth in your hands.

I took one of the workshops given by Elsie Stuehmeyer, the co-author of TAoK. There's nothing like having firm instructions in a heavy Glasgow accent to guide you!

[Balaamsass51]

Afraid I cannot help you with your kilt-making. I just wanted to say that it is nice to see that someone wants to make the "real deal" and not just throw together a cheap pseudo-kilt that is so often seen and sold today. Does seem that you are stretching that amount of material quite a bit to get two adult kilts out of it.

[OC Richard]

Here's a Matt Newsome article about kilts and yardage

https://albanach.org/of-kilts-and-yardage-cfc932851d03

3.5 yards is in line with some early 19th century civilian and military kilts.

One book says that the kilts of the 93rd Highlanders in 1801 contained:

Officers: 5 yards
Grenadiers: 3.75 yards
All Others: 3.5 yards

and that after 1850 the allowance was gradually increased reaching 7 yards in the 1890s. (The increase in yardage can be seen by noting that the pleats continue to decrease in width and increase in number.)

I have a catalogue from R G Lawrie, Glasgow from the 1940s. At that time they were perhaps the leader in Highland Dress, making sporrans, jackets, kilts, tartan hose, and of course bagpipes.

They list gentlemen's kilts as being available in 6, 7, or 8 yards.

[Pleater]

Unless your husband and son are quite slender, I'd not advise trying to make two kilts with that amount of material.

If you want to have the set centred on the front apron and fairly swishy pleats, with deep pleats at the edge of the aprons for easy movement and sitting with the aprons falling between the thighs, then more is better.

I believe I have not made myself a kilt with under 5 yards length after I took off material for the waist band and to centre the pattern on the front apron - not one which is recorded in my workbook.

Anne the Pleater

[JoliBelle]

When you say "I picked up the book" do you mean "The Art of Kiltmaking" by Barb Tewksbury?

Yes. He ordered it and I have it and have downloaded (and printed) the instructions for the box pleats.

[JoliBelle]

Here's a Matt Newsome article about kilts and yardage

https://albanach.org/of-kilts-and-yardage-cfc932851d03

3.5 yards is in line with some early 19th century civilian and military kilts.

One book says that the kilts of the 93rd Highlanders in 1801 contained:

Officers: 5 yards
Grenadiers: 3.75 yards
All Others: 3.5 yards

and that after 1850 the allowance was gradually increased reaching 7 yards in the 1890s. (The increase in yardage can be seen by noting that the pleats continue to decrease in width and increase in number.)

I have a catalogue from R G Lawrie, Glasgow from the 1940s. At that time they were perhaps the leader in Highland Dress, making sporrans, jackets, kilts, tartan hose, and of course bagpipes.

They list gentlemen's kilts as being available in 6, 7, or 8 yards.

Thank you! I'll check that out!

[JoliBelle]

Unless your husband and son are quite slender, I'd not advise trying to make two kilts with that amount of material.

If you want to have the set centred on the front apron and fairly swishy pleats, with deep pleats at the edge of the aprons for easy movement and sitting with the aprons falling between the thighs, then more is better.

I believe I have not made myself a kilt with under 5 yards length after I took off material for the waist band and to centre the pattern on the front apron - not one which is recorded in my workbook.

Anne the Pleater

Well, I wouldn't say my husband is "slender", however neither is he overweight. My son is on the slender side. I don't really have a choice about the amount of fabric I have to use. That is what he bought, without consulting me, along with the book and the link to the box pleat supplement.

[Father Bill]

Well, I wouldn't say my husband is "slender", however neither is he overweight. My son is on the slender side. I don't really have a choice about the amount of fabric I have to use. That is what he bought, without consulting me, along with the book and the link to the box pleat supplement.

Good luck with that, then!