The Wavy Kilt

[TheBrus]

I ran across a thread on the proper making of splits between apron and pleat, and the O.P. mentioned a wavy pleat section. Barb T commented about this, and I'm wondering if anyone could elaborate more on the comment of too much fabric in the hip region. Am I correct in reading that this means that the split in the hips was incorrect? Can someone summarize the convo in layman's terms? I'm just getting used to calculating splits and I'm VERY uncomfortable with it... especially now that I see what can go wrong with it.

Thanks in advance.

[TheBrus]

Ok. More reading, and I'm understanding about the hip thing. But the waist split is giving me a little trouble. Here's an example... would someone please explain why one is better than the other.

W: 33
H: 38

This is example #22 from p122 of TAoKM. I got the hips right w/ 18.5/19.5, but I guessed wrong on the waist split: 17/16. The book says 17.25/15.75. Not a lot of difference, but this is why I was only a C-grade math student.

[Paul Henry]

The split measurement isn't an exact one, sometimes there are other things to take into account,and oftentimes no two kiltmakers will come up with exactly the same numbers.
It's often something that comes with experience, when I start the sums, I often compromise to make the sewing of the pleats a little easier, sometimes the size or number of the pleats determines the final calculations.
So rest assured there is no absolute "right" answer, just some that work better than others!

[TheBrus]

Paul Henry, what I'm hearing you say is that you have to try it out by practicing the pleating. Do you think that small variations in calculations vs what actually happens has something to do with set size?

I've just started a practice kilt... unfortunately, I didn't take into account that making a kilt for a small child would be a lot of work if you're trying to scale-down the instructions for an adult's kilt.

[Paul Henry]

Paul Henry, what I'm hearing you say is that you have to try it out by practicing the pleating. Do you think that small variations in calculations vs what actually happens has something to do with set size?
The actual split measurements are not set in stone, they can vary and still make a well fitting kilt.The splits have nothing to do with the size of the sett, but the accuracy of sewing, sometimes being only a few threads larger or smaller can ammount to quite a big difference in the finished size so by thinking of how the tartan will be pleated can make the actual sewing a little easier by chosing decent sized areas of colour on the pleats, and this part can be thought of when you come to work out the split, in as much as one extra or one less pleat could just make a difference in the easy of making

I've just started a practice kilt... unfortunately, I didn't take into account that making a kilt for a small child would be a lot of work if you're trying to scale-down the instructions for an adult's kilt.
Making a kilt for a child isn't the same as shrinking the measurements of an adult one, for a start you are likely to reduce the number of pleats rather than make the same number as an adult but much reduced in size

[Barb T]

If I know the person that I'm making a kilt for, I try to take into account body shape as well. When you're talking about a child, some kids have flat little buns and some of them have round cheeks. If their little buns stick out a bit, then I'd opt for a bigger pleats/apron differential to snug the kilt into the small of the back; if they're built kind of flat in the back, I'd put more into the pleats so that it snugs in less.

But, as Paul Henry says, even a half an inch difference in the splits amounts to only 1/4" on each side - not something to agonize over.

[TheBrus]

I'm starting to understand a little better. Thank you.