Finished two kilt projects tonight!

**Erisianmonkey** · 17th February 08, 02:23 AM

I just finished retailoring my Irish National SWK Thrifty into a box pleat, and while attaching the buckles, I got out the camo kilt with pockets that I had almost completed awhile back and got the buckles onto it as well. All in all, a successful night's sewing.

Thanks to everyone who helped with advice on the box pleat. Figuring out how to do it was the hard part. Actually doing it was incredibly easy. Much easier than a knife pleat in fact. I was shocked at that. It really does seem like the box pleat would be more complex. Actual pleating and sewing time on this project, not counting test pleating and getting past the initial hurdle on the damn thing was only about sixteen hours, and that includes breaks to rest my hands and back. (Arthritis sucks.) My knife pleated kilts take a minimum of twenty hours. Hell, my skirts take a minimum of six!

The camo kilt is my prototype for a multi-pocket kilt. I have two zippered side internal cargo pockets, as well as two slash pockets. On the under apron, I have three pen pockets, and a pocket for a knife or leatherman.

As with all my kilts, both close with two straps and fastex buckles. I will say that working with the fabric of the SWK has given me a new appreciation for the folks who do the sewing on SWK's. While the fabric has a great feel and texture to wear, it is a pain in the posterior to work with. There is a stretch to the material that sent me straight up the wall.

There are mistakes in this kilt that probably won't be visible to many others, but I know they are there. Because of the stretch, there's a kind of wave to the sett in some places that made it impossible to line it up correctly. I would hope that anyone thinking about following in my footsteps and completely redoing a SWK Thrifty will realize that they won't be getting a super high quality kilt out of it. It will still be in the range of a SWK Thrifty (i.e., a casual type kilt), just more customized.

Pics to come. I've got to put the sewing machine and stuff away first. I'll post just the kilts tonight, and me in them tomorrow.

**James MacMillan** · 17th February 08, 02:45 AM

If The time is right in my mind - it's after 2 AM and you are still up and sewing????

That is in truth a real addiction!

Can't wait for the flix.

**OFCJAX** · 17th February 08, 04:34 AM

Cool. I'm intrested in doing this too.

**Erisianmonkey** · 17th February 08, 06:11 AM

Yeah, I sewed until about 1:30 AM. I meant to get some pics and post them after I got the sewing machine put away, but tiredness took over. But not sleepiness. I still haven't got to bed yet. I hate insomnia.

OFCJAX, do you mean making your own kilts in general, or retailoring an SWK? If it's the former, I highly recommend it. The latter, not so much. I wouldn't hesitate to do light alterations on a SWK, but I'd never again choose the fabric from one to work with in making a kilt myself. I very much prefer PV to SWK's acrylic. The best fabric I've got to work with so far was my PV fabric from House of Tartan, followed by a PV I got from Denver Fabrics) (The Littleton store. The website, sadly, is now run by a different company who I don't know much about yet.) A light canvas or a good bull denim will work nicely as well.

**Alan H** · 17th February 08, 01:31 PM

After messing with Frugal corners "13-ounce" acrylic, I know that stitching up anything precise from that stuff is a real challenge. I love Stillwaters kilts, but I'd pick something else...like PV or Fraser and Kirkbrights wool/poly blend before going with the acrylic.

**OFCJAX** · 17th February 08, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Erisianmonkey

OFCJAX, do you mean making your own kilts in general, or retailoring an SWK? If it's the former, I highly recommend it.

The latter. I've made a few Xkilts already (Thanks Alan) but thanks for the heads up.

**Erisianmonkey** · 17th February 08, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by Alan H

After messing with Frugal corners "13-ounce" acrylic, I know that stitching up anything precise from that stuff is a real challenge. I love Stillwaters kilts, but I'd pick something else...like PV or Fraser and Kirkbrights wool/poly blend before going with the acrylic.

Yeah, I'm off as much as 1/8th" in some places. Won't make a bit of difference to the average person on the street, but to me it's glaring.

Originally Posted by OFCJAX

The latter. I've made a few Xkilts already (Thanks Alan) but thanks for the heads up.

No problem. Like I said, wouldn't recommend it. Since you've made kilts already, you can probably handle it. But anyone trying that as a first project would be in dire need of a sound beating with the clue stick.

Getting ready to have the redhead snap some pics here soon. Then I'll have to photoshop them to help make up for the fact we've got crappy cameras, and I'll be posting them by 7:30 PM or so.

**Erisianmonkey** · 17th February 08, 04:51 PM

Okay, our cameras suck. here are the pics I was able to get edited well enough to share.
The pleats on the IN:

The IN being worn. Not my best kilt, but I'm not ashamed of it either:

The MPCK worn:

Pocket detail-cell phone peeking out of left slash, Robert A. Heinlein's Time Enough for Love peeking out of left cargo (it fits all the way in though.) My wallet peeking out of the right cargo, my keys peeking out of right slash, and the underapron pen and leatherman pockets (note that the pockets have been laid closer together than they really are):