Canvas Kilt, ACK!!!!

[arrogcow]

Yes. You can pretty much stand up a new Workman's UK on its own, and it won't collapse. For that matter, I've had mine a while, washed it a bunch of times, and it's still pretty stiff. It's actually heavier than my 8-yard 13oz. wool kilt.

Andrew.

While I admit that the workman's are very stiff (I've learned downy works wonders). I've never managed to get one to stand up b itself.

Adam

[Alan H]

SURPRISE...I may have ordered 4 yards of material, but when I laid out the "other half" of my double-wide piece of canvas today, it came out to 3 yards and about twenty inches. So, either I got stiffed on the order or it shrank, bigtime when I washed it, or both.

I know how much blue jeans shrink when you wash them, it doesn't surprise me to have lost even as much as a foot in overall length in this material when washed and dried. Two and a half feet seems a bit steep, though.

Hey, Robert, I was planning to kife pleat all the way 'round the kilt and not put in that box pleat where the under-apron starts, just for simplicity. We'll see how that works out.

BTW gentlemen, if you google "make a kilt" you will come across three or four web sites (which I have read extensively) that give basic instruction for making uber-budget kilts. I ordered Barb's book the other day because my wife is pitching a fit over the cost of the X-Marks kilt, so I acquiesed and told her I'd stitch it up myself. I had a quick read through Barbs book last night (instead of working on the canvas kilt) and it looks very thorough, with a lot of information about kilt history, what differentiates a good traditional kilt from a so-so kilt and so on. Also, buy the book direct from Celtic Dragon Press, do NOT go to Amazon.com for it. I looked on Amazon and the retailers wanted $75 for it!!!

Another thing...I've noticed this before. The guys making kilts for a living that frequent X Marksare the friendliest, most helpful gentlemen on the blinkin' planet and always happy to share what they know. I think that's absolutely fantastic!

I have a question for folks out there who have made a mess of kilts. I assume that the more you make the bettter you get at it. I want my X Marks kilt to be a NICE kilt. Would it be wise to go buy 3 yards of PV and stitch up a PV kilt using Barbs instructions before biting off the wool job?

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Thanks to all, I just ordered Barb's book from Celtic Dragon press. While I wait for it to arrive, I think that I will purchase the pattern I saw in another post, then decide what material I will use.

RJI

[Canuck]

I have a question for folks out there who have made a mess of kilts. I assume that the more you make the bettter you get at it. I want my X Marks kilt to be a NICE kilt. Would it be wise to go buy 3 yards of PV and stitch up a PV kilt using Barbs instructions before biting off the wool job?

Yes with each one you improve. On a side note that double pleat is there for a reason check Barbs book out for that.
Depending on the length of your kilt, are you planning an 8yd xmarks? (buy 4yds)
I would check out a number of fabric stores and see if you can find a tartan with the same size sett. I would buy wool. There is a fabric store in Toronto where I bought wool tartan for $12 a yd for 13oz. I would think there may be other outlets available to you. By finding a tartan with the same size sett as xmarks it will give you a better idea how to construct the kilt. Likewise working with wool is different from PV. my 2 cents
Cheers
Robert

[The Wizard of BC]

DO NOT start in on the X Marks Tartan as your first try.

Get any plaid fabric you can find cheap and sew pleats, sew pleats, sew pleats.
I would advise you sew at least 50 and perhaps 100 pleats for practice before attacking expensive kilt fabric.

That little reverse pleat you want to leave out on your canvas kilt - Don't. There is a reason it's there. If I have the chance, I add more of them and make them bigger.

[Alan H]

OK gentlemen, advice taken. I have to sew the "extra"....the other half of the double-wide material that I bought, onto my kilt, so I'll make sure to put enough in for a good-sized reverse pleat as well. I've pleated up to the end of the fabric I have right now, so I'm going to trim a couple of inches off so that the seam where I join the two pieces is hidden at the bottom of one of the pleats. That'll be a little bit tricky, but should'nt be too hard.

Robert, I'm sewing this baby up my mothers 1940's vintage Singer straight-stitch! Well, OK. I admit that I finished one raw edge with my wifes Husqevarna, doing three rows of zig-zag. But that edge is hidden inside the kilt. Everything else is courtesy of Mom's machine. I LOVE mom's machine. It's the best non-commercial straight-stitch machine I've ever sewn on. My ONLY reservation is that there's not a whole lot of room under the arm to squeeze fabric through, so I spend time rolling up stuff pretty tightly so that it fits.

OK, I will look around for some budget material to build a practice hand-sewn kilt with before I bite off the X Marks tartan. Hmmm, maybe two. I've had a hankering for a Holyrood tartan kilt, anyway.

Robert, I asked for 3 yards of X Marks tartan, so I'll have a 6 yard kilt.

[LordDamax]

Few things as I read this thread... Barb's book is a moderate help in making a modern kilt. Some pleating techniques, some troubleshooting techniques... but it's more geared on how to hand-sew a traditional.

You're gonna want a large hidden pleat, it helps with a curling apron. I need to fix one of my kilts that curls.

If you intend to sew in the pleats so you dont need to iron it, IRON THE PLEATS FIRST.

I did that with my first kilt, and it worked great. I got lazy and didnt iron it for the second, and my lines were off andhad to rip a bunch of seams and re-sew them.

When you measure your hips, measure them, THEN SIT DOWN. I learned that from Rocky's website I believe. My first kilt is tight and the pleats pull when I sit. The second I made fits perfect when sitting. If your fabric doesnt stretch, as canvas doesnt, you're gonna be in trouble.

Some cotton canvas shrink like hell. 4 yards shrinking and losing 16 inches sounds about right to me.

Um thats all I got. I'll have to post pics of my homemade kilts soon.

[chasem]

This just sparked a question I had, when making a 6 yard kilt from 3 yards of double width (for example), its it possible to keep a selvedged edge, or will it nearly always require a hem?

(Speaking of tartan fabrics, I mean)