For a first go at it, try making an X-Kilt. A mess of guys here on the forum have made them with great success. The materials are cheap, all it takes is a download, a printer, a sewingm achine and about $25 worth of materials. When you're done you have a contemporary kilt you can wear and you'll basically understand what goes into making a kilt.

After that, if you want to try a tartan kilt, get Barb's book. I've made seven kilts, working on number eight right now (five were X-Kilts) and I'm using Barbs book...I opened it today as a mtter of fact.