Apron shaping help, please

[TheBrus]

I've already gotten great advice on shaping the apron of my home-made kilt. But now I'm having trouble basting. I'm sure practice is the main thing, but I'd like to learn a few tricks along the way until my sewing skills improve. I've basted the top apron edges, per the AoKM instructions. However, I'm having two issues: first, the stitching is separating, creating two parallel, yet shaky, lines down apron edge framing my chalk marks. I assumed (correct me, if necessary) that you were supposed to fold directly on the chalk marks. Second issue is that the stripes are not matching up. Deb specifically warns about this, but I'm having trouble actually executing this.

Question: would safety pins work to keep these temporary seams straight and correct?

[Pleater]

I have worked out how to make my aprons obey when the kilt is being worn, but when laid flat they do not comply so well.

Could that be the problem?

The trick, after all, is to have the fabric where it should be when being worn, not when on a flat surface.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[TheBrus]

Maybe, Anne. The fabric was lined up when I was holding it, but then looked different on the table. But what about the basting separation? Do you think the safety pins would work/be beneficial? Thanks!

[Aspiringloser]

I've noticed in my limited experience that the more curve you try to accommodate, the harder it is to keep your stripes lined up. I use a lot of pins before basting. I've never had my basting separate as you mention. Perhaps you made your basting stitches too loosely?

[Tartan Tess]

Baste about 1/4" down from the edge, folded over at the chalk mark. alot of the basting of the aprons are so you can still find your chalk marks after tossing the fabric around.
If you stick your needle into a line or some element in the tartan, it should come out thru the same on the other side. Wetting your thumb and forefinger and pinching and twisting the tartan a bit will make it line up so you can put the needle thru.
You will have alot of experience in wrestling the tartan to line up by the time you are thru. Have fun!

[TheBrus]

@A.L. - I do have a good amount of swoop toward the bottom of the apron. I'm rather proud of that. But I notice my professionally-made kilt (J. Higgins) is pretty much just a diagonal line. I'll re-do this with pins and tighten my stitching. I noticed on a practice baste that if I don't cut the thread and just draw it right from the spool, it's much tighter. Thanks for your help. I enjoyed your picture-posts with your kilt.

@ Tartan Tess - I'll try pulling tighter. I've also read that part of my problem might be that I am inserting the needle at an angle. I'll try holding the needle perpendicular to the cloth.

Any other tips, Kiltmakers?

[Aspiringloser]

I pin before I baste just to make it easier. I make sure my stripes are lined up when pinning. I also try to make my stitches perpendicular. I tend to make fairly short stitches also. I find that this tends to hold the fabric in place better than wider ones as there are more of them. I used to try having one thread length for each line of stitching. I spent more time trying to clear knots than actually stitching. Now I no longer cut threads longer than my arm span regardless of basting or stitching. If you can keep your thread from knotting without cutting it I'm impressed. ;) Thank you for the comments. I'm still learning but each one seems to get a bit easier. Keep at it!

[Pleater]

I really can't say if safety pins would help or hinder the operation - not something I have tried.

Maybe I just intimidate the fabric more than you do.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[TheBrus]

C'mon, Anne, your last name is The Pleater. Of course you intimidate the fabric. It knows it's going to get folded and stitched whether it likes it or not! Thanks for all your patient help. I can't wait to get to work on this properly so I can wear it.

Jared

[TheBrus]

I'm dying here, people. How do you keep the stripes straight AND keep the selvidge edges parallel when making the apron? I end up with a diagonal fold. Is that right? I had things pinned together, and my stripes matched, but I was afraid to start basting, because the drawing shows a straight edge at the bottom of the kilt. Tips?

TheBrus