Making my first X-Kilt

[Jake_S]

OK, I have some more questions. I separated the two pieces and the short side measures 76". My kilt will have a drop of 22", I might do a hem, so that would be another inch or so.

If I divide the 76 by 3 (this will give me 5 yards of horizontal stripes) that leaves me with a width of 25.3". I'm concerned that this will leave me with very little room for error, and I honestly have no idea how to hide two seams. I think I can figure out one seam, but two will be pushing my non-sewing brain over the edge!

So, to finally get to the point, I am wondering if 3 yards will be enough for my kilt.

My waist (measured at the navel) is 34", my hips (rump in x-kilt speak) is 38", with a 22" drop, and a 9" fell. I plan on doing 9 3" pleats with a 11" over apron.

If I can do the kilt with 3 yards that will make my life just a little it easier, so can it be done?

Thanks,
Jake

[Alan H]

OK, I have some more questions. I separated the two pieces and the short side measures 76". My kilt will have a drop of 22", I might do a hem, so that would be another inch or so.

If I divide the 76 by 3 (this will give me 5 yards of horizontal stripes) that leaves me with a width of 25.3". I'm concerned that this will leave me with very little room for error, and I honestly have no idea how to hide two seams. I think I can figure out one seam, but two will be pushing my non-sewing brain over the edge!

So, to finally get to the point, I am wondering if 3 yards will be enough for my kilt.

My waist (measured at the navel) is 34", my hips (rump in x-kilt speak) is 38", with a 22" drop, and a 9" fell. I plan on doing 9 3" pleats with a 11" over apron.

If I can do the kilt with 3 yards that will make my life just a little it easier, so can it be done?

Thanks,
Jake

You're are asking me to think AWFULLY hard, and besides, it's making *you* think awfully hard. I mean you can lay it all out in your mind, figure out how deep each pleat will be and each fold and add and add again and hope that you don't get half an inch off when you start to actually put the thing together.

Or.

you can go down to the local fabric store and get yourself 5 yards of six-bucks-a-yard twill and make life a whole, whole lot easier.

Look, the X-Kilt is supposed to be easy.

[Jake_S]

Yeah, I know it's supposed to be easy, but I just bought this fabric last saturday and I REALLY(!) want to use it.

I guess I can use the larger 96" piece and know for sure that I will have enough room for error on the drop, and figure out the seams later.

I "think" I will be ok with 3 yards, but I'm not 100% about it.

That's the reason why I'm puling out hair that I don't have.

OR.......
I can be real smart and take Alan's advice, I'll have to think about that.

Jake

[Jake_S]

Besides, I always have a way of making everything complicated, just ask my wife.

[Jake_S]

I actually started on the kilt, since I was home sick from work.

AlanH, I should have listened to you, but I'm gonna try and finish it. I cut my 76.5" piece into 3 pieces, 25.5" x 64", and sewn them together. I did a half way decent job considering I have not used a sewing machine since middle school (18 years ago, I think).

I'l post up some pics when I get the pleats finished.

And there are a couple of things to remember if you are making a kilt while sick:
1) Always have tissues close at hand while working over the material
2) Don't try and hold back a sneeze whilst sewing, almost bloodied my tiger camo!
3) Last, but not least, do NOT take cold medicine before you start working on your kilt! I had to re figure my measurements 5 times before I gave up and took a nap so the medicine would wear off.


Jake

[Bugbear]

Good luck... tiger camo sounds good. I need to find some zebra stripes...

[Alan H]

I actually started on the kilt, since I was home sick from work.

AlanH, I should have listened to you, but I'm gonna try and finish it. I cut my 76.5" piece into 3 pieces, 25.5" x 64", and sewn them together. I did a half way decent job considering I have not used a sewing machine since middle school (18 years ago, I think).

I'l post up some pics when I get the pleats finished.

And there are a couple of things to remember if you are making a kilt while sick:
1) Always have tissues close at hand while working over the material
2) Don't try and hold back a sneeze whilst sewing, almost bloodied my tiger camo!
3) Last, but not least, do NOT take cold medicine before you start working on your kilt! I had to re figure my measurements 5 times before I gave up and took a nap so the medicine would wear off.


Jake

I hope you figured out where those seams are gonna fall BEFORE you sewed 'em in there, otherwise you might be ripping them out!

[Jake_S]

It's been slow going, but I am almost finished with my X-kilt. There are a couple of things that I am unclear on.
The under apron pleat is shown in appendix 1, but it is not mentioned in the manual, so I do not know what to do with it. Do I handle it like a normal pleat, and fold it under the over apron, or ....... ?

Also, tapering of the pleats. Am I just reducing the width of the exposed pleat (3" part), or do I need to something with the under pleats? I'm only tapering 4", and with 9 pleats there isn't a lot off of each pleat that I need to taper.
My waist is 34 and my hips are 38, so I have figured the following taper:
1 = none
2 = 1"
3 = .5"
4 = .25"
5 = .5"
6 = .25"
7 = .5"
8 = 1"
9 = none


Thanks for the help, as always.

Jake

[fluter]

The under apron pleat is shown in appendix 1, but it is not mentioned in the manual, so I do not know what to do with it. Do I handle it like a normal pleat, and fold it under the over apron, or ....... ?

Jake, this may be a question of terminology. What's labelled "under apron pleat" is the pleat on the left-hand side of the outer/top apron. On a traditional knife-pleated kilt, this would be an extra large knife pleat.

IN the section Tack down the top of the outer apron around page 25, we read "Move ‘round to the front of the kilt and lay out the left hand edge of the over apron next to the forward-facing edge of pleat #1." We've lined up and sewed the left edge of the apron already; now bring it to touch the first pleat. IN the process, that fabric allowance between them is folded under the apron to make a pleat.

Also, tapering of the pleats. Am I just reducing the width of the exposed pleat (3" part), or do I need to something with the under pleats?

You're going to reduce the top, exposed part of the pleat; and somehow fold under the excess. Think of "rolling" the extra bit of fabric underneath each side of the pleat, into the concealed parts of the pleats, then pinning it down to top-stitch it.

If your pleats stared out like Alan's, then you have a half inch gap underneath. Where you're tapering more than 1/2 inch, either let the back of adjacent pleats overlap or make an extra fold near the waist. I chose to overlap them. I don't have a useful picture handy... Hope this helps.

[Jake_S]

That does help, thank you. I don't know why that part of the instructions did not click, but it does now.

On the tapering, I did mine last night, like you described above, but I wasn't sure if that was correct or not.


Hopefully my kilt will be finished by Friday, and I can wear it to the St Paddies day party on Saturday.

Cross fingers!