Canvas Kilt, ACK!!!!

[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.

[Alan H]

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.

I think you're probably right. Hemming would be OK, though I'd rather finish the edge in another way and not add the extra weight. Ce la vie!

I wish I owned a serger, but no such luck. However, my lady's Husquevarna has an overlock stitch, so I'll just burn up half a spool of thread on that if the selvedge doesn't look so hot. We'll see!

Cold water wash makes sense....

[Canuck]

I think you're probably right. Hemming would be OK, though I'd rather finish the edge in another way and not add the extra weight. Ce la vie!

....

If it's any consolation All my contemporary kilts are hemmed except the leather. It works out OK.

[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.

[Gaian]

I have read this thread with a great deal of interest. Thanks to the kilt makers that have responded. It is great to see that everyone is willing to help.

I have made about 25 contemporary kilts now. Trying to find the right formula and pattrern. You guys oare on the right track. I will have to post some pics so you can see but that wil be another thread.

I had a Utilikilt Chocolate Workman's. I sold it because I did not like the stiffness of the material even after many washings. The good news is I had bought it used and sold it for more than Paid for it! Gotta love that. I did take the time to examine the way it was made. The pleats were nice and deep but at the waist they were spaced 1 7/8" apart. so making this , for my 43" waist about a 5 yard kilt. There were 2 hidden pleats behind each apron so that thee was enough fabric there to fall between the knees no matter how you sat. This was a good thing. Apron was about 10 inches wide. I liked this feature. Wide aprons do not dothis quite so well. One reason to like the contemorary kilt. On my own kilts I prefer to have more pleats and more fabric. I like the feel and the "swing" something I feel is necessary for a proper kilt. Understand that the heavier and stiffer the fabric and the more pleats you have the harder it is going to be to wear, ;et alone trying to sew 8 layers of that heavy duc all at once.

I commend you on your atempt at making one. Good for you! It iwll get easier after the learning curve.

You may want to try making a pattern first. I taped together lengths of paper to make five yard and started experimenting that way. You can tape pin the pleats in place. If it doesn't work out you have lost nothing but time. Give it a try if you are not willing to commit to doing all the math. Then all you have to do is use your paper kilt foe measuremnts and for pleat placement.