A kilt from leftover fabric

[Pleater]

I don't think it would always work for a tartan unless you were lucky about where the pattern and the central strip occured.

I was thinking of something like a box pleated kilt in a plain or small patterned material.

However - if you could get a strip which was two setts wide rather than one central one and two halves - and a backing fabric which was a toning colour it might work.

Although the result might not have the swing of a knife pleated kilt it would be

a) a cheap kilt
b) certain to move in some way, just differently
c) eyecatching if the backing was some strong deep colour,

I have a strip of black fabric 8 yards long and wide enough for two outer pleats. There is also a left over piece of the whole fabric, several yards long.

I have several pieces of light fabric which woud be a suitable backing - I will have to chose between them and see how this works out in practice.

I will have to work on my photographic skills which are, at present close to zero, and then I will be able to give a better ideal of what I am making.

[Yaish]

So you have a strip that is maybe 8 yards long, by perhaps 8 inches wide? You also have a strip that is the full 28 inches or so wide and a few yards long?

Is that right?

And if I understand correctly, your plan is to use the full width piece to make the apron and under apron, attach to that some light weight material to complete the 'body' of the kilt with pleats, then cut the narrow strip into strips as long as the kilt and as wide as a single pleat right?
Then sew those strips onto the lighter material to give the appearance of uniformity?

If I understand correctly, its not too far off from how a Utilikilt is made, or one of Jeff's two toned Pittsburgh Kilts. Skip the backing material and sew the strips together directly, and you pretty much have it.

Uk's are made with each pleat being one piece of material as wide as the inner and outer pleat, sewn to the next pleat on the two inner edges, and then having the pleats outer edge sewn into the folded material.

It could work, but by flipping the thing strips vertically you are going to have cross patterns in the weave of the material, regardless of pattern or color. It would be better if the material was all the same grain in orientation, but it sounds like it could work.