Denim Reverse-Kingussie Kilt

**nab2488** · 22nd February 09, 04:07 AM

Hey meinfs I have started looking around at fabric to make a kilt of and I wanted to know ho many yards is this kilt? I my self don't like the box pleats so I can't do a 4 yarder. I like the idea of doing a Kingussie. I was thinking 6 yards? I am a big guy too my waist is a 46.

**meinfs** · 22nd February 09, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by nab2488

Hey meinfs I have started looking around at fabric to make a kilt of and I wanted to know ho many yards is this kilt? I my self don't like the box pleats so I can't do a 4 yarder. I like the idea of doing a Kingussie. I was thinking 6 yards? I am a big guy too my waist is a 46.

Hi nab, the value of your hip measurement determines the amount of fabric needed. So either your waist measurement of 46 is either smaller than your hips or at the most, the same. (You don't want the hips value to be bigger).

[Alan H and Sydnie7 have come up with the rev-K addendum to the X-kilt as well. So watch out for that.]

For a value of 46" at the hips, I'd estimate the rev-K fabric usage to be about 172 inches (or ca. 4+3/4 yards, single-width.) - with two deep pleats, about 14 (2-inch reveal) pleats. Each pleat in this design uses about 7." Aprons of lengths of about 18-20" or so (you can add more or less).
I'm assuming that you're using a solid-color fabric.

The kilt in this thread is 44" at the hips and it used up ~160" (4.4 yards).

**meinfs** · 22nd February 09, 07:35 AM

I wanted to add that reverse-K pleats are better off in even numbers, 12, 14, 16, because of its symmetrical construction... So adding another set of pleats, means adding two more pleats (which uses about 14" more, in this particular design).

Sure you can do an uneven one (meaning say 7 pleats on one side, 8 or 6 in the other -- but it may look off. In any case, the inverted BOX should be at the center of the back.

With 14 pleats (of 2" reveal), you've already covered 28" of your back 2.5 inches more into each side (for a hips measurement of 46").You just then adjust the front apron to your liking. If you want it really narrow, then you'll add more into the pleats, which will increase your yardage, e.g. 14" more.

Side Note: The Bear Tartan, an asymmetric tartan, would really work well in reverse-kingussie (Thanks Pleater for that spark of genius).

**Bugbear** · 22nd February 09, 07:49 AM

Now there's an idea, Mein, an RK in Bear tartan. Are RKs pleated to the stripe or to the sett?

**nab2488** · 22nd February 09, 08:18 AM

^ Yeah I am planning on a solid color. I am planning on buying the cheapest cotton I can find for my first one. Then if I royally fubar it won't be a big deal. Sorry for being such a newbie but I am having a hard time finding the Xkilt pattern with knife pleats or revK pleats? Would I just take the instructions you just gave me and do that instead of the box pleat instructions on the xkilt instructions?

**sydnie7** · 22nd February 09, 09:54 AM

The RevK addendum to XKilt manual is languishing in my "to do" pile. . . lots of things in line before it, I'm afraid. Sorry for the delay, folks, I will get it back to Alan H just as soon as I get past current "real" work, replanting a large flowerbed, which needs to be done in time for hosting next weekend's party for my sister/husband who have just retired, then converting Bob's tuxedo jacket to be worn at clan dinner the following weekend, along with more "real" work as deadlines loom. . . as Mein has taught us, sleep is highly over-rated!

**Pleater** · 22nd February 09, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

Now there's an idea, Mein, an RK in Bear tartan. Are RKs pleated to the stripe or to the sett?

As the RK is mirror imaged, trying to make one to the set can be anywhere from dead easy almost falls in itself, to totally imposible - it is weird - or maybe my brain just can't cope with it.

I do have mild dyslexia so that might have something to do with it.

I mostly work out my own kilts to a stripe, though the one just under construction is a plaid pattern with three broad stripes which is not reversable. After some fiddling about the result is pleated with a narrow central stripe in the middle of each pleat reveal, with the colours as the sett, so three pleats are narrower than the sett, but echoing the colour sequence.

I find this a really satisfying style, which seems to give a good depth of pleat and also a pleasing result with the colours of what originally looked to be a difficult size of sett.

I always make the pleats an even number in total - you can have whatever number you like in each half, of course, but with the inverted pleat centre back - I usually have 10 or 11 each side, except for the rather memorable 25 - though if something went dreadfully wrong and you had a partly made kilt that was too small, rather than sew the inverted pleat with the two edges being edge to edge, they could be sewn down with a gap of one pleat reveal, and it would (I think) not really be noticable.

I do have to say that I have never regretted making any kilt from 7 or 8 yards, and the lighter the fabric the better it has looked with the longer length.

I have a large pile of fabric waiting to be sewn into kilts now, including a lightweight one which I intend to use folded double, and some blanket weight wool which might be the shortest kilt so far due to that weight. Be aware that buying material to be made into kilts can become rather addictive. After a while anything looks like a possible kilt.

Anne the Pleater

**Bugbear** · 22nd February 09, 12:55 PM

Thanks, Pleater. Guess it could be either to the stripe or sett then. Bear tartan is asymmetrical, but I'm not sure how that effects all of this. I still think I would prefer it pleated to the sett.

**meinfs** · 22nd February 09, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

Now there's an idea, Mein, an RK in Bear tartan. Are RKs pleated to the stripe or to the sett?

For the asymmetry to be visible, it'll have to be pleated to sett, so you can see the mirror-imaged colors. But I'd have to do a test pleating to see if it's practical/do-able.

**meinfs** · 22nd February 09, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by nab2488

^ Yeah I am planning on a solid color. I am planning on buying the cheapest cotton I can find for my first one. Then if I royally fubar it won't be a big deal. Sorry for being such a newbie but I am having a hard time finding the Xkilt pattern with knife pleats or revK pleats? Would I just take the instructions you just gave me and do that instead of the box pleat instructions on the xkilt instructions?

Yes- cheap is okay but spend your time and money for quality! If you were successful in making a kilt (and that's truly possible if you're motivated) then you'll want to wear it. Will you wear it if was the cheapest fabric that you wish you hadn't gotten?

Bottomline is : get the fabric that you'll enjoy wearing and/or showing off, within a reasonable price of course. If you get double-width, you'll only need about 2.5 yards or so. If it's say, $10/yd, that's not going to break your bank at $25. But you can definitely get less expensive fabrics at under $10/yd. Go to Jo-Anns or Hancock Fabrics and look around, sign up so you can get their discount coupons. (JoAnns has one right now...). Hancock's has a table of cotton twill/cotton poly at good weight at 3-ish/yard. At that price you can get 5 yards of double-width and you can have two kilts.

While the revK addendum is still being processed, I can certainly help you with instructions and I'd be happy to help you construct a rev-K kilt. I would recommend, downloading and reading Alan H's Xkilt manual which will give you instructions on how to construct a box-pleat. The rev-K is just a different pleating but most of the other details are going to be the same/similar. It will be of significant help.

Let's talk some more.