Canvas Kilt, ACK!!!!

[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)

[Alan H]

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)

The canvas I bought has a slightly fuzzy-edged, but acceptable selvedge. It wouldn't cut it on a real traditional kilt, but on this canvas one, it's fine, so I'm not hemming it. Besides, I think the extra thickness wouldn't look so great, but I'm just guessing on this. In a lighter twill maaterial I think a hem would work out just fine.

But I'm just mouthing off on that aspect of it, 'cause I've never done it.

Lord Damax, the stretch in the material is a very good question/issue. Well, we shall see, eh?

Looks like I will have made three kilts before I bite off the project with the X Marks tartan.

[chasem]

Well yes, I presumed it would work on solids, as the color would match perfectly at the selvedge. But right now I'm operating on the assumption that the tartan will not always, or more accurately - rarely, match up at the opposite selvedges, therefore they would require a hem if using double width cloth.

Is this accurate?

[LordDamax]

Lord Damax, the stretch in the material is a very good question/issue. Well, we shall see, eh?

Looks like I will have made three kilts before I bite off the project with the X Marks tartan.

My first was made with doc cloth from walmart... not as heavy as a UK workmans, but I assumed it'd be good enough for a work-like kilt.

Measured my hips just right, pleated it right, and standing it looks good... sitting... the pleats pull really bad.

I think it's not as much an issue with a wool kilt, as wool is a bit stretchier than canvas.

My second kilt was a cammo fabric, the hard, non-stretchy stuff the army uses. Added 3 inches (measure, sit, remeasure) and it fits just right sitting.

[HeathBar]

Alan,
I think what Chasem is showing is a tartan that was not "evenly spaced" in the loom. So when he cuts, flips, and puts the slevedge ends to the bottom, there might be a bold stripe or pin stripe, that do not line up. Then you would have to trim it and hem it. I ran into that problem on a kilt I have in the works.

Someone else pointed out to me (Jimmy Carbomb I think) , pay attention to the twill lines in the material. If you look close you will see the diagonal lines. When the two peices of material are sewn together, make sure the twill lines are all running in the same direction.

[Alan H]

Alan,
I think what Chasem is showing is a tartan that was not "evenly spaced" in the loom. So when he cuts, flips, and puts the slevedge ends to the bottom, there might be a bold stripe or pin stripe, that do not line up. Then you would have to trim it and hem it. I ran into that problem on a kilt I have in the works.

Someone else pointed out to me (Jimmy Carbomb I think) , pay attention to the twill lines in the material. If you look close you will see the diagonal lines. When the two peices of material are sewn together, make sure the twill lines are all running in the same direction.

Hmmmm, could be right. Not all tartans are woven symmetrically on the loom. Your point about the twill orientation is well-taken and I'm going to have to remember that.. He might be stuck on this one.

BTW, for anyone looking for some inexpensive tartan to "practice on" before moving on to more expensive material, there's a current auction for some nice-looking New Brunswick cotton tartan material on e-bay right now. The price is fantastic.

http://cgi.ebay.com/50-Sq-Ft-Cotton-...QQcmdZViewItem

[Alan H]

Sorry, Chasem. I must've been brain-dead yesterday, especially after you put the pic up to illustrate what you were trying to get across! I must beg for patience, now and then.

Steve and Robert, I bought a piece of that cotton New Brunswick tartan off of ebay. The link is in my previous post. If it's ten feet long and double wide, then when it's stitched together it'll be 6 + yards which is enough to make a pretty decent kilt. She says she adds another foot on each end actually, so I might wind up with closer to 7 yards, though by the time I wash the material and dry it, with shrinkage I bet I'll be back to 6 yards. Anyway, it's plenty to practice the techniques in Barb's book. With shipping it's all of sixteen bucks, and I can afford to totally hash sixteen bucks worth of material while I learn.

I was busy at work last night, but tonight I can go home at a normal hour and maybe I can get two more pleats folded in and stitched down and that box pleat put into my canvas kilt.

[Canuck]

, so I might wind up with closer to 7 yards, though by the time I wash the material and dry it, with shrinkage I bet I'll be back to 6 yards. Anyway, it's plenty to practice the techniques in Barb's book. With shipping it's all of sixteen bucks, and I can afford to totally hash sixteen bucks worth of material while I learn.

.

I've got a feeling you will have to hem this one. The selvedge edge may be rough, so I would serge or overlock stitch it and hem it by 1/2". You might want to cold water wash it to keep the colour intact.
Have fun.

[toadinakilt]

My first was made with doc cloth from walmart... not as heavy as a UK workmans, but I assumed it'd be good enough for a work-like kilt.

Measured my hips just right, pleated it right, and standing it looks good... sitting... the pleats pull really bad.

I think it's not as much an issue with a wool kilt, as wool is a bit stretchier than canvas.

My second kilt was a cammo fabric, the hard, non-stretchy stuff the army uses. Added 3 inches (measure, sit, remeasure) and it fits just right sitting.

added three inches? where? in some random place? i do not understand...

[chasem]

added three inches? where? in some random place? i do not understand...

Second hip measurement. When sitting, your hip measurement will generally be slightly larger, as you're pulling your legs up, kind of condensing the leg mass into the hip mass. At least, that's what I gather.