I was just working on one of the first kilts I made - the fabric is not a tartan but could be called a plaid with fine crossed lines and stripes of colours which are mostly strong burnt earthy Summer colours. I was thinking of throwing them out, as they have faded but somehow ended up taking them apart and remaking them for my smaller circumference.
They are showing signs of age - they are 'only' polyester cotton in a 50/50 mix, but even so they are two 7 yard kilts. They are now being resurected in a reverse kinguisse style, with some reinforcing of the waistband.
They were deliberately left rather unstructured originally for making smaller, and that has resulted in more wear than would have been the case if I had reinforced the tops of the aprons.
I might even make the apron double thickness to give it a bit more weight. Most of my kilts seem to come out at about 7 yards even without planning.
The repeat of the pattern was huge - 24inches, so I just pleated it evenly - the new versions every 7 inches and it looks alright. The colours are now even more varied as there are both sun bleached and close to original colours visible. They are not exactly smart looking, but I think that they will still go with sandals, Tilly hat and tee shirt.
Although the fabric is quite flimsy for a kilt, a liner - or in my case a petticoat, makes an improvement, as does a hem. The extra layer holds the kilt out, so it looks as though it has more body, and also helps it to move freely. The weight of the hem causes it to oscillate rather more than it would with just a selvage edge.
With the 'improvements' I've added I think I can get away with calling the result 'weathered' rather than just plain old and faded.
Originally Posted by Pleater
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