X-Kilt: Sew Your Own, manual available for download

**switchblade5984** · 18th September 06, 04:22 PM

like the snaps!

i need to make mine...........

no sewing machine..........

not hand sewing!!!!!!!!!!

**Alan H** · 18th September 06, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by switchblade5984

like the snaps!

i need to make mine...........

no sewing machine..........

not hand sewing!!!!!!!!!!

HINT: y'all can buy used sewing machines (some pretty good ones, too) on ebay.

**switchblade5984** · 18th September 06, 11:05 PM

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

dang it!

i know there on there must stay away

**Dave W.** · 20th September 06, 02:03 AM

Despite Alan's best intentions there are a couple of errors which could catch out the unwary.
1. Four times 1.25 inches equals 5 inches not 5.25 as shown in the diagram.
2. Butt sizes over 47 inches would need more than 4 yards of material with the revised design.

Alan said he will be making the necessary amendments in the next issue.

Critisism is easy so let me say a big thank you to Alan for his valient efforts and I for one will be giving it a try.

**Alan H** · 20th September 06, 10:58 AM

Thanks, Dave W for the heads-up on that simple mathematics error in one of the diagrams! This is what Editors are for, right?

Note that the four x 1.25 inches is in the diagram for the pleat layout; end-view. Son of a gun, but 4 x 1.25 = 5, not 5.25. Crikey!

However, if you make your X-Kilt with 5.25 inches allocated for the under-pleat depth, it will measure out just fine. I've made four of them that way, and it's not a problem. With this box-pleat, the "pleat depth" is small...one of the few downsides to box pleats generally and this one in particular. That extra quarter of an inch translates to a tiny *tiny* bit deeper pleat and every fraction of an inch you can get is good. You could even make the under-pleat allocation 5.5 inches and it would work out. You'd just have more overlap up at the waistband where you taper the pleats above the fell. Just be aware that if you do the 5.5 inch under-pleat allocation you're going to need another few inches of material.

About the total length of material needed..... When I first wrote this up, I made shallow "front facing" pleats on the first and last pleats, and a shallower under-apron pleat. For a 48 inch rump, four yards was enough.

Well, I've nearly finished KCW's X-kilt with the new instructions that include a much deeper under-apron pleat and full 3-inch deep forward facing pleats on the first and last pleat. His rump measurement is 47 inches, and 4 yards is BARELY enough. So if you have a rump measurement of 48 or more, buy MORE than four yards of material. Four and a half should do it. If your rump measurement is over 54 inches, buy 5 yards.

Even better, calculate your pleats and apron depth......and thereby the total fabric length you need BEFORE going shopping, and buy an extra 1/2 yard just to be sure. Remember, you're making this out of cheap stuff.

I'm waiting on some "Tips and Tricks" from at least one X-Marks member who'se made several X-Kilts, and when I have those I'll incorporate the whole lot...these corrections plus his tips and tricks into the Final Version of the Instructions.

**switchblade5984** · 20th September 06, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Alan H

I'm waiting on some "Tips and Tricks" from at least one X-Marks member who'se made several X-Kilts, and when I have those I'll incorporate the whole lot...these corrections plus his tips and tricks into the Final Version of the Instructions.

i dont think it will ever be "done"

and whoever you are with the tips/tricks get a move on!

**Alan H** · 20th September 06, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by switchblade5984

i dont think it will ever be "done"

and whoever you are with the tips/tricks get a move on!

LOL! Well it HAS to be "Done" here shortly. I've got two lengths of tartan sitting in my room, and I want to get to THEM, soon....

....Though I might break down and make myself an X-Kilt out of bull denim, since I gave PiperGeorge my prototype #3......which by the way, he's wearing to work as a veterinarian, He tells me.

**munnin** · 20th September 06, 11:25 AM

How much experience do you think is needed to approach this project? I am thinking of tackling it. I need to find a way to incorporate both black and gold cloth.

p.s. how diffacult would it be to adapt this to a tartan?

**Alan H** · 20th September 06, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by munnin

How much experience do you think is needed to approach this project? I am thinking of tackling it. I need to find a way to incorporate both black and gold cloth.

p.s. how diffacult would it be to adapt this to a tartan?

You need to know how to use a sewing machine. That's it. Honest, that's IT. The whole point of the X-Kilt was to make a garment that ANYBODY could sew up. If you can measure and mark a piece of plywood in your garage and cut it out to make something, then you can make an X-Kilt. The only difference is that you're using a piece of chalk on cloth, instead of a pencil on plywood. Oh, and you're cutting with scizzors instead of a power saw, and assembling with thread/sewing machine instead of hammer and nails. There's no pattern to buy, you draw out your pattern directly on the cloth, with chalk.

I've thought about adapting it to two colors of cloth, so that the outside of each box pleat is one color and the under-pleat section is another color. It it certainly could be done but it'd be a lot of work measuring the cloth, allowing for seams, and joining all those pieces of cloth together. It wouldn't be HARD, it'd just be time consuming. What might be easier is to make the kilt out of black cloth, but use gold thread, which would be a nice contrast. Your stitching needs to be really good, though! Then make the bits and bots...belt loops, waistband, cargo pockets if you want 'em and so-on, out of gold cloth. That'd be a right lot less work than doing every single under-pleat section out of a contrasting color, though I'm not sure how it would look.

I gotta admit, having the bulk of the kilt in black and the under-pleat sections in gold would look really cool. It'd just be a load of work.

As for making a tartan kilt like this, I STRONGLY would NOT recommend it. There's nothing in the instructions about matching up the tartan pattern. Stick to solid colors or random patterns like camoflage in bull denim, canvas and cotton or cotton/poly twill.

The X-Kilt was intended to be an easy-to-sew kilt that anyone could do on a home machine in 10-14 hours. I think they look good, but if you make just one or two you won't learn the tricks and tips needed to really custom-fit a kilt. However, you will make a perfectly reasonable and wearable garment if you have an "average" body-type, and you will understand what a professional kiltmaker does, and why their products are worth every penny they charge for them.

**Alan H** · 21st September 06, 05:28 PM

Well, I'm done with #4, for KCW (we traded kilt for digital camera). KCW and I are almost exatly the same size so I just strapped on his kilt in front of the full-length mirror.

This is the super-revised final model with the full waistband, deeper front-facing pleats and deeper under-apron pleat.

DANG. This is SWEET. Jeeminy Christmas. Now *I* want one. You gotta wear it tugged up to navel level, though I made a little adjustment to the length of the apron so it wouldn't drag far below the level of the rest of the kilt if you don't.

DANG-o-matic.

OK, KCW, I hate to put pockets on this thing, but that's up next while I have the house to myself tonight!

Oh, and confirmed: PiperGeorge is wearing his (protoype #3) day-to-day for general veterinarian work. Tartan Hiker has made four, Mowgli has made one, O'Neille has made one. Anybody else? The population is growing! Share pics!