where to wear a kilt?

[starbkjrus]

Kitty,

Welcome to the group!!

For your research, you can certainly access the web sites of the sponsors of this site for a wide variety of traditional and contemporary styles.

If you haven't spotted the threads yet which mention "The Art of Kiltmaking" by Barbara Tewksbury and Elsie Stuehmeyer, (Barb is a member of this forum) it is an excellent resource which you can order. You can use the forum's search function to locate lots of threads which discuss various aspects of making both traditional and contemporary styles.

Happy stitching!! You have a very fortunate boyfriend!!

You can order Barb's book from Celtic Dragon Press .

Good luck with your kiltmaking.

[Pleater]

I'd say go higher rather than lower - with the kilt being knee length the proportions can look really wrong if it is too short on the body.

It might feel strange at first but it is a whole different garment.

If it is not for formal wear you could just pleat the material onto a waistband without doing any sewing down, then it would not be so difficult to decrease the size.

I am losing weight and have made and remade kilts for myself. I have made them various lengths, but always with the belt resting above the natural waist.

I put on belt loops but not buckles for fastening as I find my waist varies quite a lot, not only throughout the day but over a week - I think the fat is moving around. I thread the belt from the left edge of the upper apron around anticlockwise. I draw the under apron into place, then put the end of the belt through a beltloop on the edge of the upper apron and draw it into place, then fasten the belt.

When the under apron starts to slide down and I can't tighten the belt without the beltloop on the over apron colliding with the one at the edge of the pleats, I know I have to remake the kilt again.

[GMan]

Hi Kitty and WELCOME!

I am one who would suggest go higher, for the reasons already stated. Proportin to everything. One cannot look out of balance, and you do want to have the Kilt as the prominent garment on your man. Plus it is better to show off your handiwork!

Good luck on your endeavor and I hope that your boyfriend understands that he is a lucky guy.

[Kitty]

Thanks for all your advice. I talked to him last night about it and I conviced him to wear it higher, saying too, that's you're not wearing pants so you shouldn't wear a kilt like that.

He's really excited for me to make it (it was his suggestion afterall) and I'm really excited for the new challenge. Something different than the other clothes I usually sew.

I went to the library and found a book that has how to make a kilt and they have the Art of Kiltmaking but it was checked out (i'm next in line though ;), and i've looked up many websites. I really want to have it visualized in my head before I make the first cut. The pics I've seen of people posting their kilts have really helped too. The only thing I dont have (and probably the last piece of the puzzle) is to have a kilt in front of me to study.

after he decides what kind of pleating he wants and how he wants to fasten it (cuz he actually wasnt that keen on the small buckles and probably just wants beltloops for the belt and velcro to hold it together) i'll be able to start.

[MacWage]

From personal experience:

Look at the "darts" and the various ways that the differences between the "hip' (butt) measurement and the waist (navel area). Also-> look at the shape at the top of the butt (if you don't already :rolleyes: ). Is it abrupt (more shelf-like) of gradual (sloping). It makes a differnce in the shapping of the tops of the pleats.

Most on-line instructions have side darts and a center rear dart. Most "pro" kilts have the differnce made by a small dart on each pleat across the back pleats.

Also-> DO NOT forget the reverse/forward pleat under the aprons, adding an angle to the ironing, to allow for forward leg movement. Otherwise, it will "pop the pleat."

Matt Newsome's pics are very helpful to me in visualizing what I am trying to say. Note-> he makes box pleated 4 yard kilts, so the pleats are wider and shaped a bit different than a side/knife pleat.

See here:
http://kilts.albanach.org/pics.html

Note especially the shaping of the ends of the kilt wrap (where many put fringe).

It is complex, but makes a HUGE differnce.

I would make the ends permanant, and use Matts internal left side buckle. I, myself, use a nylon strap and plastic "button" clip for the underapron buckle.

Also, do minimal cutting (as the more cutting . . . the harder to readjust).

If any questions, try to contact some of the kiltmakers on this forum. Most are perfectly willing to help us amateurs.

Kiltmaking is a lot of work, but fun once you get the hang of it.

Important question:
How much material is going into the kilt? (How long is the kilt?)
Is it a 4 yarder, 5, 6, 8?
It makes a MAJOR differnce in how you do it, as does the material (which it sounds like is regular/non-worsted "fuzzy wool").

If weight is in flux, a "great kilt"/"belted plaid" is a great option! It is unsewn and easily adaptable to weigt/size changes. Down sides: hotter, more "odd looking," not as convienent to put on or take off. Note: I have both. I am keeping 4 belted plaids as belted plaids (two natural tone tartan-esque patterns-one lighter and the other in the 20-30 oz range-, a Dress Gordon, and a Black Watch), others are becoming tailored kilts.

[Riverkilt]

Don't know if it helps any...take a look in my gallery for lots of pics of kilts on my big belly.

Hope his isn't as large...with me...I wear my kilts under my belly because no matter how high I start out wearing them they always slide down under the belly on their own....and I don't think kilts and suspenders make any sort of a fashion statement...

Ron

[Kitty]

i didn't really wanna start a new thread cuz it's pretty much the same topic, but i just ran into a little problem

so apparently my boyfriend has no *** (still think it's nice though ;)

cuz i offically took his measurements last night and his "waist" is an inch more than his hips cuz of his belly. now this may not be a problem, but i'm just wondering about the darts that every instruction i've ever seen has and what i do about those (leave them out? - only thing i can think of).

i'm gonna try to draw up the plan/pattern today of what i'm gonna do and now that i have people i can ask, i'm totally taking advantage of it rather than just see what i'll do when i get to that step.

[Pleater]

The measurements might be the same, but I bet they are not vertically above eachother - that is, he is not a tube.

You need to shape the pleats to maintain contact with the surface of the body.

Kilts are actually designed in two parts, the back pleats which are shaped into the back of the waist and the under pleats and aprons which are usually unshaped within the fabric - that is no darts, but one or both the edges of each can be shaped.

You might have a better idea of how to shape his kilt if you fasten a thin belt or tape at his waist with a piece of tape hanging down at each side of the waist about one inch in front of the half way measurement - that would be where the pleats would stop - but you can move that forward if it does not look right - if he is deep in the body - then having pleats further forward on the side of the hips might look better. Make sure the side tapes are firmly fixed on the belt and hanging straight down, then measure the back waist and every two inches down from there - you can mark the tape at two inch intervals to help this.

Measure the front waist and below at two inch intervals if the measurement increases - you only want the maximum measurement and where it is in relation to the natural waist. If below the natural waist then it might be as well to put in darts to shape the aprons and help to keep the kilt in place.

Once you have this contour map you should be able to see how to narrow the pleats into the small of the back and the waist - you might need to only shape the back and not the sides, or whatever will make the best fit.