DIY Kilt #4

[meinfs]

Here's my fourth DIY kilt: a knife-pleated kilt kilt using Stewart Gray tartan (that you've helped me identify) in lightweight PV (from Joanns, in fact).

This is my first attempt at working on a tartan. I didn't use any basting pins to sew the pleats, but they are machine-sewn. It's not that easy because it appears that the lines can easily get mismatched.

It's a work-in-progress. I'll post more pictures soon.

29 pleats, pleated to the stripe.



I tried it on, after finishing the pleat stitching. I haven't pressed it yet.

[12stones]

Wow...you're just on a roll. Looking good!!

[Doomsday]

Love the Stewart Gray.

[ardchoille]

Looking very good. I saw your DIY #3, and now this one. Looks like you're well on your way to becoming a kiltmaker. Good on you!

[Standard]

Looking good. Please post another picture after the pleats have been pressed.

[kmehrtens]

The kilt looks good and can't wait to see it complete.

I saw that same fabric at Joann's this past weekend and having the same thoughts of picking it up to try my hand at a tartan kilt after making 5 simple solid color knife-pleated kilts. Just curious how much material did you buy, and if I can ask what is your hip size (so I can compare to my 36)? When you said, "I didn't use any basting pins to sew the pleats, but they are machine-sewn" did you machine sew the pleats from the hip to the waist?

What are people thoughts on sewing the pleats from the hips to the bottom, to make pressing easier vs. not? Similar to the way a X-Kilt is done. I have done this with my previous kilts and it makes pressing more simple and a cleaner look. I know this is not the traditional way, just curious.

[sydnie7]

[snip]What are people thoughts on sewing the pleats from the hips to the bottom, to make pressing easier vs. not? Similar to the way a X-Kilt is done. I have done this with my previous kilts and it makes pressing more simple and a cleaner look. I know this is not the traditional way, just curious.

I think it would interfere with/lessen the "swish factor." The stitching is useful on fabrics that don't take or keep a press (denims and such) used in casual and X-Kilts -- adds a vertical stiffness to each pleat. Seems to me that same stiffness on knife pleats of an acrylic or wool trad kilt would keep the pleats from swinging with each step.

[meinfs]

The kilt looks good and can't wait to see it complete.

Thank you - it's almost done.

Just curious how much material did you buy, and if I can ask what is your hip size (so I can compare to my 36)? When you said, "I didn't use any

I'm 37" at the waist and 41" at the hips. I think got 8 yds (just in case). I think I used up just over 200 inches or about 5.5 yds (for this 31-knife pleated kilt). With this lightweight fabric, I doubled up the under apron to add more thickness. It all depends on pleat depth, size, etc. My denim handsewn kilt used up 7.5 yds.

basting pins to sew the pleats, but they are machine-sewn" did you machine sew the pleats from the hip to the waist?

Yes I machine-sewed from the waist to the hips only (not down to the bottom of the kilt like in Xkilts).

What are people thoughts on sewing the pleats from the hips to the bottom, to make pressing easier vs. not? [..]

I like it on the Xkilt and it does make pressing easier because it's pre-pleated.

[meinfs]

Here's the finished product: DIY kilt #4. It's my first attempt at using a tartan fabric. It's a lightweight Stewart Gray polyviscose fabric from Joanns.
31 knife pleats, pleated to the double stripe (yellow/white) on the "inner" side of the pleat (0.77" pleats).
Double-fringed. I plan to add a buckle on the right side hip -- because I dance quite a bit (square, two-step, etc.) and I realize that it'll be functional for me.)

It's much easier to work with lines already in the fabric (like in, well, tartans!) -- i.e. I didn't have to worry about 90° angles and parallel lines.

It has a really good swing to it.

The Kapt. Morgan pose:


From the back:

[meinfs]

Here's the final version... Hope you like.

Stewart Gray tartan in PV fabric from Joanns. 31 knife-pleats.



Pleatview: