First kilt, what fabric?

[Nik]

I just joined the boards here and want to try my hand at the kilted life-style. As there are many kinds of kilts out there, and many being expensive I though I'd try my hand at making one, as a member suggested.

I've read about them being made of materials from wool, cotton, polyester, acrylic and even leather. Well I'd like to start with one that would be a good medium in weight and breath-able, without breaking the bank. Mostly to wear when its hot and humid here in Michigan. To let you also know I've searched about for some kinds of fabrics mention but really finding myself lost more then to an answer.

Also one more question... Is there at all any issues with going with box pleats compared to knife? I like the look better to tell you the honest truth.

-Nik

[Thomas H]

If this is your first kilt DIY , may I suggest using a PV Blend or a lower cost
Tartan fabric ( with winter on us now ) stores are selling tartan material in cotton , ie... Joann's sewing stores and even Walmart for $5.00 a yard.

If you make and it truns out nice ... and I am sure it will ,then buy the high
price Wool or Duck clothe . Good Luck and have fun with it ...

Post pic's of it as you are making it

[Cowher]

I'm not a kilt maker so I have nothing to share on the tartan front.
Yet the box pleat takes less tartan to make so if making your own it will save you some cash. I love them as well.
Good luck and don't forget to post pics of the results.

ith:

I just joined the boards here and want to try my hand at the kilted life-style. As there are many kinds of kilts out there, and many being expensive I though I'd try my hand at making one, as a member suggested.

I've read about them being made of materials from wool, cotton, polyester, acrylic and even leather. Well I'd like to start with one that would be a good medium in weight and breath-able, without breaking the bank. Mostly to wear when its hot and humid here in Michigan. To let you also know I've searched about for some kinds of fabrics mention but really finding myself lost more then to an answer.

Also one more question... Is there at all any issues with going with box pleats compared to knife? I like the look better to tell you the honest truth.

-Nik

[TheBrus]

I had some of these same questions. I was told that it's best to start with the good stuff, because you will be able to make a better first kilt using quality materials. Certainly, it sounds counter-intuitive, but the less expensive fabrics do not perform as well as the heavy wool. It takes a very skilled kiltmaker to make a decent kilt from less well-suited material. I suggest trying Marton Mills' 16 oz wool. It's not nearly as expensive as the other mills, but is a good material. I got two meters shipped for $80.

[Alan H]

I strongly disagree with whomever steered The Brus in that direction. STRONGLY.

Sure, 16 ounce wool makes a phenomenal kilt. But that's coming from the viewpoint of an extreme traditionalist, and that stuff is bloody expensive. $60 a yard wool is pretty damn expensive stuff to screw up while you're learning. You'll need three to four yards of it, remember? Are you ready to make a second-rate kilt out of $240 worth of Scottish Wool?

Here's my suggestion....don't start out thinking that you MUST HAVE the ultimate, traditional Scottish wool kilt that will knock the proverbial socks off of Her Majesty, at the very first outing. It takes a while to develop those skills, you know?

Why don't you go download the X-Kilt instructions? Make an X-Kilt out of inexpensive cotton/polyester blend. It's $8 a yard. Get a solid color or camouflage, that takes the whole headache of "matching tartan" out of the equation. After you've done that, you'll have a much better idea of what it takes to "make a kilt". You'll know the terms, you'll have the basic shapes in your head, you'll understand the basic mathematics and calculations you have to make.

If you want to proceed, then I'd say to make a second X-Kilt. Get some nicer stuff....that recycled polyester/hemp stuff, wow that is NICE. It's $20 a yard. Now you are really starting to get it together. Do you want to keep going? OK, Now make a "wide-apron" X-kilt, out of Marton Mills polyester-viscose tartan cloth. That's $15 a yard and you'll need about 2 1/2 yards. that is going to look an awful lot like a traditional Scottish kilt. It won't be built like one, but it's going to look like one. You'll have to figure out how to set up box pleats that work, on your own, because the standard X-Kilt pleat width won't work any more, but you'll have a bunch of experience under your belt, and you can do it.

And then...if you still want to build a full-on kilt, go buy Barbs book, get 3-4 yards of expensive 13 or 16 ounce Scottish tartan and go for it. My first one took me 47 hours of hand-sewing, so settle in.

[Whidbey78]

If you're okay with a self color kilt, rather than tartan, JoAnne is a good place to start. They have a few good bottom weight cottons and poly-cottons. Unfortunately, the Poly-co twill never seems to go on sale. I have used this poly-cotton blend with pretty good success. It's just about as light as I want to go in a kilt, but at seven bucks per yard, it's well worth it. Wait around for a bit and it will go on sale again. I just got some a few weeks back for $4 per yard, plus a coupon discount. With shipping four yards cost me a whopping 19 bucks. Now I just need some time to get it done.

Wally World sells a cotton duck that is lighter than Carhartt clothing, but around the same weight as a pair of jeans. It's about $5 per yard, but it gets tougher to stitch once you have three or more layers, and it wrinkles like tin foil. Wash and dry it about 15 times though and it starts to behave like an old pair of jeans.

If you're also okay with a modern style kilt go for an X-Kilt. It's easy and a really good starting point.

[Papa Slob]

I'm kind of fond of good old denim material. It will hold the pleats well, swing well, you can get thread to match or contrast with the blue or black jean material. You can get it almost anywhere. Just don't get any with a spandex (or stretch) blend. Oh, it's good in Michigan too.

Royce

[Nik]

Ok I'll start looking at that bottomweight material next time I'm at Joann. And honestly $7 a yard (no sale) isn't an issue, my wife and I get tons of discounts and coupons.

While something heavier like denim would be good but I've never worked with anything that heavy. Let alone, I'm not really a jeans person, I own like two pair. Most of my pants currently are cargo pocket and cotton, bit lighter and breaths better.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look at a more traditional style after a year, once I got a few casual ones.

-Nik

[auld argonian]

Well, the PV is certainly good...the Jura line from Marton Mills is priced pretty attractively. Might check Fraser and Kirkbright's page of specials. I know that I got a quote on three yards double width of the Marton Mills Jura and the price was a pleasant surprise...now if I only had the time...

Best

AA

[Alan H]

Denim is grand for kilts until you have to put on the waistband. Now you're sewing through about 6 layers of denim. A lot of home sewing machines simply can't do it, and many that can will still dish up *really* irregular stitches, skip stitches, bust needles and stuff like that. PITA.

I'd recommend not using denim or bull denim. That said, there are certainly people who have made kilts out of that material. So it's up to you.

Whatever you use, wash it BEFORE you sew on it....if it's going to shrink, let it shrink BEFORE you make a fitted garment.