Building a kilt from two regimental kilts?

[angerli]

Hi, Barb!

I've seen a few of your posts and replies. Here's my situation: I bought a nice "antique" outfit on eBay.co.uk back in November. This was supposedly from the 1930s. What I received was a really nice tan tweed Argyle jacket and matching waistcoat, and a mainly-blue 8-yard kilt. Given the husky tweed (stouter than any Harris Tweed I own or have ever seen heretofore), I had a new lining put in the jacket and waistcoat so they're all set. I bought about five metres of curtain lining in a goldish tan and that matches the jacket very well.

Now, the kilt. It is probably a 32" waist and I'm a 33.5. So, it's too small for me. I figured that I should probably have new belts made for it. But, more I think about it, what could I have done to make the waist a bit larger? Lose a pleat in the back? And, there are several tiny moth holes to deal with. One is where the old feller must have worn his kilt pin. I really like it, but I sure would like to know what tartan it is. No maker's marks anywhere.

So, besides my Hunting MacNicol tank, I have this "unknown" kilt to think about fixing up. Would it be worth doing? I need some advice before I get going on this! :confused:

Sandy

[Barb T]

Hi Sandy

You can always start by moving the apron edge buckle(s) and the underapron strap over, although this may cause the underapron edge to show on the right hand side.

If you want to make the kilt bigger, you wouldn't take out a pleat in the back. You'd make the apron and underapron wider. That involves removing the lining, taking off the top band, removing enough of the canvas to get at the edges of the apron and underapron, taking out the stitching on the apron and underapron edges, and unstitching the deep pleat and inverted pleat. Then you extend the apron and underapron the same amount on both sides to keep the center stripe centered and rebuild the kilt. If you have someone else do it, it's not cheap.

If the kilt is a bit "iffy" to start with, you never know what you'll find when you undo everything. Some kiltmakers who either don't know what they're doing or who are scrimping won't leave enough fabric to make this possible or will cut out the deep pleat, making it impossible to do this.

Honestly, I don't like taking stuff apart that I haven't made myself, because I don't know what I'll find, so I don't very often take a job of altering an unknown kilt. You could try it yourself, though - you could just get my book and follow the alteration instructions.

cheers!

Barb