Jeans kilt prototypes

[sydnie7]

I also like the look of #1. You might have a few more rivets than a pair of jeans, but lots of clothing has metal components (zippers, D-rings etc.) and I've never suffered more than a casual pat on the arm, for example, when TSA wants to double-check the scanner results.

Keep us posted, looks as if you have made a great start!

[ratspike]

Number one! I'm interested in seeing how it looks with all those rivets too. My Stumptown kilt has rivets at the fell and IMO it's pretty sharp design element.

[kiltedrennie]

I agree that the first option looks natural. Interesting idea. Look forward to seeing the results.

[Steve Ashton]

I have two concerns which may not have shown themselves to you yet.

Denim is a very unique fabric it continues to shrink over its entire life span. With pants you have legs in them to pull them back into shape. This is why jeans seem to mold to your body.
In kilts all the pleats will become shorter and shorter. At the topstitching you may develop wrinkling just as you do on the side seams of jeans. Unless you iron the kilt A LOT within a short time denim has a tendency to start to look like a tutu.

My other concern is with the two lines of stitching. Experience has shown that topstitching 1.8" from the pleat edge is good. Any further and the pleats tend to curl. Usually outward.
If you goal is to create a garment that will have curling pleats similar to a Utilikilt then this is not a problem. If your goal is to create a garment that has pleats more refined then this curling will be very bad unless, again, you iron the kilt after each washing.
This curling will be further emphasized by the revK pleating. That style of pleating is very prone to curling as kilts made this way seldom have Steeking.

Just some food for thought.

[woutervw]

Denim is a very unique fabric it continues to shrink over its entire life span. Unless you iron the kilt A LOT within a short time denim has a tendency to start to look like a tutu.

I didn't know that. But since I've already bought the fabric, the experiment will have to continue. Iron, iron, iron it is then.

My other concern is with the two lines of stitching. Experience has shown that topstitching 1.8" from the pleat edge is good. Any further and the pleats tend to curl. Usually outward.

The second row of stitches is only through one layer of fabric, not both as the stitching on the pleat is. And since I have just a simple sewing machine, I already figured I needed to cut the top pleats back and do some steeking. There's no way the machine will go through all those layers at the waistband if I don't do this.Good thing the library had "The art of kiltmaking".

[vorpallemur]

I didn't know that. But since I've already bought the fabric, the experiment will have to continue. Iron, iron, iron it is then.

The second row of stitches is only through one layer of fabric, not both as the stitching on the pleat is. And since I have just a simple sewing machine, I already figured I needed to cut the top pleats back and do some steeking. There's no way the machine will go through all those layers at the waistband if I don't do this.Good thing the library had "The art of kiltmaking".

Denim shouldn't exhibit progressive shrinkage. It will exhibit a lot relaxation shrinkage, wich may take two or four washings to get out. Wash it hot, and dry it. Once it's made up, don't use hot water, and don't dry it dry. (better to hang dry.)

I've made some rev-K demin kilts. Shrinkage wasn't ever a problem, but wrinkles were.

also, top stitching like you're proposing doesn't look good if the rows aren't evenly spaced and parallel. I use edge guide feet, but they're hard to find for domestic sewing machines. In the absence of one, use a ruler to draw a line on the fabric in chalk or wash out marker or pencil a fixed distance (3/8" is the usual gauge for double needle stitching on jeans) away from the first line.

[woutervw]

also, top stitching like you're proposing doesn't look good if the rows aren't evenly spaced and parallel. I use edge guide feet, but they're hard to find for domestic sewing machines. In the absence of one, use a ruler to draw a line on the fabric in chalk or wash out marker or pencil a fixed distance (3/8" is the usual gauge for double needle stitching on jeans) away from the first line.

I have 4 pleats done and what worked for me was doing the top-stitching part first. I basically use the side of the sewing foot as a guide. With more or less corresponds to 3/8" if I sew the pleat itself close to the edge. It's a relatively easy way to do it, it just requires some concentration to stay on track.

[sydnie7]

Love the look. My first Kingussie was a sage green denim, using the white selvedge line for the hem as you have done. But I never tackled that much contrast-color topstitching!

[woutervw]

Increasing the foot pressure made a good difference. Still, making topstitching through the waistband doesn't give me a nice bottom stitch. But I can live with that, given that my poor, little Huskystar has to go through 5 to 7 layers of thick denim. I'm pleasantly surprised it managed to get through it at all.

Next: pockets.