need patterns for kilts!

[kiltman with a sword]

hello all! this is kiltman with a sword here, now that i have determined that the pattern i have is not a real kilt, i need some good patterns! if you guys have any help fpr me it would be appreciated. i would also like a couple good patterns for sporrans. and dirks. and anything else i would need. so in short i need everything you got. i really would like to have at least one kilt aoutfit done before new years. if possible i would like to celebrate in style. and maybe one of my resolutions would be to get more kilts. (and to lose some weight of course, that would be nice as well!) so please help me if you have any good ,real patterns for me.until then,
Erin Go Bragh!
Levi (aka KWaS)

[beloitpiper]

This is a good thread for the DIY forum.

[BLAZN]

Regardless of which forum this thread belongs in...

You really don't use a pattern for a kilt at all. If you boil it down to it's purest element, a kilt is nothing more than a huge stretch of fabric folded neatly to fit around your waist.
For a first shot, I would recommend the X-Kilt: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=20085

You could also look here: http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/chegc/kiltsite/page2.htm

As for sporrans... ummm... I design my own, and then produce them myself.

[chasem]

The Art of Kiltmaking - http://www.celticdragonpress.com/ - The only 'pattern' you'll need

[Caradoc]

The Art of Kiltmaking - http://www.celticdragonpress.com/ - The only 'pattern' you'll need

Seconded.

[auld argonian]

http://users.telenet.be/jbruyndonckx/kilt_making.html

Best

AA

[Alan H]

For a first go at it, try making an X-Kilt. A mess of guys here on the forum have made them with great success. The materials are cheap, all it takes is a download, a printer, a sewingm achine and about $25 worth of materials. When you're done you have a contemporary kilt you can wear and you'll basically understand what goes into making a kilt.

After that, if you want to try a tartan kilt, get Barb's book. I've made seven kilts, working on number eight right now (five were X-Kilts) and I'm using Barbs book...I opened it today as a mtter of fact.

[Colin]

This is a good thread for the DIY forum.

I agree, and have moved it to the DIY'er section.

[Pleater]

Kilt making is a bit Zen - the pattern is there in the fabric, it is just a matter of being able to see it.

Kilts are usually cut so that the selvage is the lower edge of the garment, which is contrary to the usual way the fabric is used.

The exception to this is corduroy, pinstripe and anything else which should be used vertically, when it is a case of cutting strips and joining sections of pleats together.

With a patterned fabric you usually work with the repeat of the pattern, though some interesting things happen if you don't.

With a plain fabric I usually just make the longest length of kilting cloth possible (within reason) and work out the number and depth of pleats which will just fit into it.

All you need to start is the fabric, a tape measure and a calculator or slide rule and the basic idea of the two fronts, the back which is a little more than half the circumference made up of pleats, plus there can be either one or two double size pleats at the edge of the aprons. Small amounts of shaping to flare the aprons might be done, depending on the style of kilt you want.

There are some good instructions on where to put pleats and what effect to aim for on the 'net, if you do a search.

[Phicong]

I have been reading everything I can find , both in this listing and on the internet in general. My problem is that it appears simple to effect the tapering of the pleats and like this example:
"In our example kilt, the waist of the kilt will be narrower than the hip by 18cm. (108cm. hip - 90cm. waist). Therefore, the pleats and each side of the aprons have to be gradually tapered from the hip to the waist."
This reminds me of the old software instructions which were written by the software writers (and could only be understood by other software writers)but impossible to be understood by anyone else.
I understand, somewhat, how to do this with box pleats on the X-KILT but I want to use knife pleats and since I have a 6 inch difference betwen waiste and hip, how do I implement the taper? I have examined my Amerikilt, a Stillwater Economy which has no taper, and a ladies skirt kilt and still cannot work this out.
Could someone please explain, possibly with a picture or two.
Many thanks in advance.

Gordon of MacHardy Clan Origin