Judgement Call

[Wompet]

Having machine-sewn four kilts (three prior to the X-Kilt manual), and handsewn five more (with another in the works) - go with McMurdo's and Alan H's advice. For your first attempt find some inexpensive material and have at it. Then work your way up to tartan.

[Carolina Kiltman]

And, if you haven't already learned it, patience (and a lot of ripping out and re-sewing) can be substituted for a goodly amount of expertise. Good advice precedes this post.

And also, good luck

[Pleater]

If you can find some wool material the learning curve might be less steep as it is more forgiving than cotton.

It is the wrong time of the year here, in the Northern hemisphere's Winter, to be working with black fabric - though there are a few bright days, and almost everyone needs a good black kilt. Some tweed like patterned fabric might be a good start as I find that a pattern helps with lining everything up. As long as the weaving is even, of course.

If you are going to be using really expensive materials for your tartan kilt I'd recommend having made five kilts you are pleased with before tackling that one.

You should by then have mastered the division of the fabric into pleats and know if there are any pleats which require 'tweaking' to get them to lie right - for instance I have to lift the inner fold of the under apron pleats in order for them to lie flat and not roll outwards.

You should have done enough hours of sewing for it to have lost its novelty and for the whole process to have become familiar, so you might actually enjoy the making of what should be a very special kilt.

Fewer than five might be possible if you have a real feel for the making of a kilt - by the time you have done three you might be feeling that there is little more you can improve on. This might be false optimism, but you can always take out the sewing and start again.

Anne the Pleater