4yd vs 8yd

[Kilted Taper]

I found some beautiful fabric on eBay , however it's a little more than 2yds double width. What would be the difference in sewing an 8yd vs 4 yd? Less pleats, wider pleats? Just kinda curious.

Also, is that really a Cavan tartan. I searched and I'm finding several, but not one that looks like that.

[chasem]

I saw some of that material up on ebay a week or so ago. Nearly picked it up myself!

whether or not it is cavan, it's gorgeous

As for 4 vs. 8 yards, 4 yards will have fewer, wider pleats, with less material between the pleats.

However, after finishing my 4 yd macfarlane box pleat, I really like the feel of the four yards, and any I make for myself will probably be 4-yarders from now on, and a 4 yard box pleat looks a little better than a 4 yard knife pleat, to my eye.

[Alan H]

At this point, after wearing a 4-yard poly-viscose kilt... 5-6 yard PV kilts, and 7 yard wool kilt, as well as having made a number of kilts, if I were presented with 4 yards of material, I would make a box-pleat kilt out of it.

In fact, thats exactly what I plan to do in the future when I finally buy my Hall tartan and California Tartan material.

[Kilted Taper]

Are there instructions or a guide to follow for making a box pleat?

[chasem]

Not that I've seen. I followed Barb's book for the most part, with small modifications where necessary.

Gotta head off to work at the moment, but shoot me a PM or something if you want more on how I did it.

[Gaian]

If you only hahave four yards I would go withthe box pleat.

Of course it will depend on how much territory you have to cover with it....

I have made traditional style kilts and tried to stretch four yards to cover alot of teritory. I would not recommend it unless you have a 30 inch waist maybe....

More fabric equals better feel , look, lay and swing. I have done traditonal and contemporary style kilts in tartans and plain weaves and you can bet my favorites are the ones with the most fabric. They just say KILT! all the way. Looks better, feels better, and gets the most compliments. You want a quality garment right?

You can experiment by just pinning it together before you sew to see how it will look after you have done the math of course.

The first kilt I made was out of brown craft paper. Yes, like grocery bags. It functioned as a trial and then a pattern. Easily worked and easily adjustable. I have made dozens since then and never have to cut a pattern now. It will take some time but worth every minute you spend on it.

[Wompet]

Surprised no one else checked the Scottish Tartan Authority site yet, but - yes, it looks like County Cavan.
I took a look at their other listings - at that price I was hoping they might have Antrim too.

[MacWage]

As for yardage:

For balance when wearing:
an 8 yard kilt is quite BACK heavy-> 6 yards of material in back and 2 in front.
a 4 yarder is balanced-> 2 front and 2 back

For pleats:
an 8 yarder as many deep pleats.
a 6 yarder has fewer and/or shallower pleats
a 4 yarder can be one of 2 things:
-a knife/side pleat with few or very shallow pleats-> looks pretty bad often
-a well made and very nice box pleat

I prefer a 4 yard box over an 8 yard knife/side for normal wearing. The 4 box is well balanced and of a nice, comfortable weight, and very likely to lift (due to the nature of the box pleats). An 8 yarder has a more commonly accepted "traditional" look, nice "swing," and more "weight" and warmth (not an issue to me in the American south, and actually can be a negative).

In my opinion:
If you like the material and its tartan, get it and get a box pleat made out of it, either by sending it to a kiltmaker (like Matt Newsome, who specializes in box pleats) or making it yourself.

[MacHummel]

For me when I make a kilt for myself I always go with the 8yrd I love the sway and the weight. Also I like my pleats to be deep, I live in South Western ON and we just got hit with some snow I had my 8yrd Holyrood kilt on its a P/V and I wasn't chilly, in the summer I don't get over heated.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Are there instructions or a guide to follow for making a box pleat?

But of course! Check Alan's instruction here!