Construction of kilt with reinforced wasitband

[Pleater]

I am just starting another kilt - it is as addictive as buying, or possibly more so - if that is possible.

The fabric is a navy blue wool blend. First it was torn along the length and the two halves sewn together. The seam will be the centre back of a reverse Kingussie style kilt. The two halves will be exact mirror images.



The waistband is also made in two halves



Then I go to my stores


and select the piece of webbing which will be incorporated into the waistband

[Stitchwiz]

I am curious about the need to the reinforced waistband. Can you give us the background story?

[Pleater]

Wool and wool blend fabrics are malleable - that is the basis of tailoring, the fabric can be pressed into shape, eased in or stretched by hot pressing and wetting.

If the waistband is not strengthened, when it is worn, over time it will lengthen and also start to look rather worn as the individual threads will become narrower as they lengthen. Pressure will be put onto the stitching and the pleats as the waistband loosens, resulting in broken stitches.

It is one of the basics of creating any garment, to strengthen wherever there is pressure exerted when worn - the double yoke of smocks and shirts is another example and the multiple layers of a button and buttonhole band. All rigid waistbands, for trousers or skirts, are (or rather - should be) made with some sort of inelastic reinforcement to keep them from stretching over time.

Having seen the non reinforced kilt which Steve is working on (in the Freedom kilts section) I thought that I'd show how I make the kilts I wear. They are a simpler form of kilt than the Victorian type with the shaped fell, but they fasten in the same way, and the whole weight of the kilt plus the tensioning of the waistband requires a fairly sturdy webbing - the webbing can support my weight.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[marypenny]

What a wonderful new term. Stores! And here I'd always called it a Stash! As though I were hoarding. Now I know that I am simply storing it for future use! Brilliant!
From a seamstress who believes that there is nothing such as "too much stored fabric"!

[Pleater]

What a wonderful new term. Stores! And here I'd always called it a Stash! As though I were hoarding. Now I know that I am simply storing it for future use! Brilliant!
From a seamstress who believes that there is nothing such as "too much stored fabric"!

Er sorry - 'Too much'?

I'm afraid the concept evades my understanding.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[ratspike]

This is a really clever way of building a lot of strength into the waistband. How wide is the webbing you use? Does it follow the curve of the kilt pretty well? I'd imagine seatbelt webbing like you have in the photo would work well since it's pretty flexible compared to nylon or poly.

I've done basically the same thing before, but with regular canvas duck instead of webbing. With the fabrics I use and the way I construct my kilts I don't honestly believe it added much if any extra strength. I've thought about using webbing or 1000D cordura instead but hadn't considered seatbelt webbing since I prefer to use mil-spec materials whenever possible. I think it also would have been pushing my machine a little further than I'd like, with 8-10 layers of fabric+strap interfacing+velcro+webbing. I just shoehorned a walking foot machine into the sweatshop though, and it'd sew through all that without breaking a sweat. I guess I've got a good excuse to knock out a prototype. Or two. Or three.

Agreed about "too much fabric". I'm not sure what this "too much" thing is, but it's clearly a concept dreamed up by someone who doesn't sew. I think of it as my fabric cache.

[Elizabeth]

Following along hoping to get brave enough to tackle a kilt project! Thanks Anne!

[Pleater]

Next I will calculate the lengths of the various parts of the kilt. I like 8 inches for each pleat, and twice that for the centre back inverted box pleat and the under apron pleats.

After careful measurement of the length of fabric I have:
the edge slope and hem typically 3 inches
the apron
the shaping at the edge of the apron typically 4 inches
under apron pleat typically 17 inches 16 inches under the apron and 1 inch showing
about a dozen 8 inch pleats showing about an inch
the last small pleat on each side meets at the centre back
the edges are sewn together 16 inches from the centre back seam, and an inverted box pleat is formed.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Pleater]

I have various types of webbing - there is a shop which sells leftover stuff from industrial sources and it usually has something useful when I visit there.

The kilts don't actually curve, not with the webbing in place. Without it they tend to droop centre back, so I always used to wear a belt with them and put a belt loop centre back, but with the webbing that is not necessary.

I sew the pleats by hand, as I would need to tack them anyway to get them as level as I would like.


First I pin



Then sew outwards from the centre back



And I pull up the edge of the under apron pleat like this - that is the waist edge of the under apron with a triangle of the the pleat showing behind it



If I have the waist edge level the under apron pleat gapes and rolls, so pulling it up draws it closed and up at the same time.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Pleater]

I probably put a lot more thought into the sewing of the waistband than most.

The inner measurement needs to be waistline under compression with enough room for clothing. The thickness of the pleats band and webbing makes this different from the outer measurement.

The fabric part of the kilt is sewn outside the webbing as otherwise an impression of the ridges is made on the skin. Usually up to 2 inches of pleats and one inch of each apron is eased in, to ensure there is no tension on the garment and no bulge at the edge of the webbing. The webbing can vary from several inches in height - I think that the grey seatbelt is 2 inches - down to an inch. The amount apparent from the outside of the kilt is usually about an inch, and the fabric is usually level with the top edge.

The waistband is already sewn onto the outside of the kilt so it is already larger than the waist size. It is relaxed even when curved around the body. It is sewn on right side to right side of kilt at the same level as the stitches put in to secure the pleats - about 15mm from the edge. It is then folded to the inside over the kilt and the webbing, and secured on the inside.

Different kilts have had different finishings on the inside. Where the fabric was only just enough the raw edge was caught down and a ribbon put over to hide the edge and the webbing.
On others the fabric covered all the webbing and is tucked around the lower edge. Gentle pressing shrinks it down the several inches which had to be 'lost' and a satin ribbon is sewn on before the lower edge is tacked and then machine sewn along the edge of the webbing.
When I found that the material cut for the waistband was not going to do at all I just hid the cut edge with a ribbon attached to the webbing at the top and the pleats at the bottom.

The ribbon stops any fibres of the coarser webbings which can penetrate the weave of the fabric and light clothing.

Fastenings can be various - D rings and cords, strap and buckle, hook and slot. They do have to be substantial. I have some kilts which are 30 inches long and over 8 yards, the stresses and strains on the joins must be cosmic. They are sewn through all layers with black button thread and leather ones are removed for washing.

I'll include some photos of the finishing of the navy blue kilt as it proceeds.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: