question regarding my first xkilt

[plaid preacher]

Ha! 20 years... it's been 35 since I probably did my last sewing class in Junior High. Now, if I can figure out how velcro works, I'm laughing.

[keltic]

not to highjack this thread with my own questions, but I do have a similar predicament that plaid preacher has. My waist measurement at the navel is 38" and my rump measurement is also 38" meanwhile, the measurement where my jeans usually sit (below my navel) is 36"

so how do I handle the construction for the xkilt? am I a column? do I cut 2" off the fell and 2" off the top of the xkilt and go with the 36" measurement, allowing the kilt to ride lower?

admins: if you want to separate this to a new thread, I'm ok with that. I was trying to search the forums for the answer to my question, and this thread seemed to address it. I'm still not sure I have my answer here though. and I hate to start a new thread with a question that has probably been answered at least 10x before.

[Alan H]

Decisions, decisions. Do you want the kilt to ride lower? If you do, then treat the top of the kilt like it's 36 inches. If you don't want the kilt to ride lower, then you could taper it up to the 36-inch point and then "widen" it to the 38 point. Jeez...lotta work.

Yes, you're close enough to a column. If it were me, I would just not taper the pleats at all, and figure that the A-shaping of the over-apron will be close enough. On the other hand, it's likely that in fact your butt slopes outwards from the lowermost part of the small of your back out to the actual rump and the reason that the two measurements are the same is that you've got a bit of a tummy up front. Now, I'm just guessing here...I could be dead wrong, can't tell without some semi-nekkid pictures, and who wants that?

Adjusting for the scenario above is not something that I've done, but maybe sydnie7 will chime in, as she's done it. If she doesn't chime in, then I'd say to just make the kilt with no tapering in the pleats, and put the thing on. Belt it snugly and see how it works. If you notice stuff that you'd change, then make some notes and the next one will be that much better.

Remember, Levi Straus only makes three styles of jeans. Regular, "slim fit" and "relaxed". Those have to fit everybody, there's no custom anything, here, and the whole flippin' world lives in blue jeans.

[plaid preacher]

Hey Keltic, welcome to my thread. I'm trying to remember what I did. Now to be honest there wasn't much variation in the waist and the rump measurement in my case, regardless of how I took/calculated them. I did have the advantage of having just been measured for a kilt by a kilt maker, so I did have some "professional" measurements to work from. In my case I used a fairly snug waist measurement, and then left a little "slack in the fell... since I don't have much behind but a little overhang in the front, and the additional material let's the apron hang better. I think when all was said and done I used 37" at the waist and 40 or 41" at the fell - which allowed me a slight taper. Hope this helps.

I did make the tragic mistake of starting this project and then leaving it for about a month due to other commitments. It was hard to remember where I was when I got back to it this past week. But I did strap the thing on on New Years Day for a while. There are a couple of little things left - one pleat to sew down and belt keepers - but I'm just about done. And piccies will follow soon.

[keltic]

Thank you both plaid preacher and Alan h. I do have a little belly by 2inches bigger than my waist and there is the slope from the small of my back to my rump. No need to post nekkid pics. I think I will cut it down by an inch so it rides lower an go with the 36 waist and a 6" fell to my 38" rump. Of course those measurements are post holiday weight gain and should go back to slightly less in a week or so

[vorpallemur]

Remember, Levi Straus only makes three styles of jeans. Regular, "slim fit" and "relaxed". Those have to fit everybody, there's no custom anything, here, and the whole flippin' world lives in blue jeans.

they do quite a few more these days, I counted at least a dozen men's styles in the Levi's company run store when I as in there recently. Even discounting the styles that only have to do with leg shaping, it's six or eight. None of them fit me, either, the rise is too low. (I've got moderately short legs for my height, but not more than a standard deviation from normal.)

That said, I'd probably just go straight, unless you want it lower, than reduce that, and reduce the measure you want.

[keltic]

so having read the replies and having thought things through, I have decided to let this kilt ride low. I'm going to take about 2 inches off the top of the kilt (having already hemmed it last evening). I measured my other kilts at 21" and 23" so splitting the difference makes perfect sense. I also went to the store to buy the 2" velcro, some snaps and a snap setter, and I decided to buy a rotary cutter (which makes cutting those long cuts much easier, just make sure you have one of those cutting mats). thanks all for your input.