Lardbelly, or "the tale of the tail" and Barb's fine book

**Barb T** · 10th April 08, 06:22 AM

Judging from the pic in your avatar, you already have a kilt? The easiest thing to do is put that kilt on at the right height. Look straight ahead and have someone check the bottom of the kilt to determine if it's the right length. If it's too long or too short, have the person measure by how much. Be sure that you are looking straight ahead, though, not down.

Then, measure from the center of the top buckle at the apron edge to the bottom of the kilt (_not_ from the the top edge of the kilt!). Add or subtract how much the kilt was too short or too long. That's the length measurement you need for working with the instructions in my book. You then add a 2" rise to that length to get the overall length of the kilt.

creativeaccents · 10th April 08, 06:46 AM

THANK YOU for the sanity check!
Just wanted to be absolutely sure before putting scissors to fabric. I do have several kilts, but none that were "hand tailored" specifically for me. With so much past reference to the line of the navel by others, I have also heard some state that the top edge should be well above the navel. Your reference to the center of the belt buckle adds a lot of clarity to the issue. One thing is sure, this little exercise has so disgusted me when looking in the mirror, that I will certainly be getting outside for more exercise. Far too much time has been spent sitting here working on my next book!

**Barb T** · 10th April 08, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by creativeaccents

Your reference to the center of the belt buckle adds a lot of clarity to the issue.

Careful!!! It's not the center of the BELT buckle but the center of the top buckle on the apron edge of the KILT!

creativeaccents · 10th April 08, 02:19 PM

Got it! Now to read more about the kilt making classes at Matt's site and begin looking at the tartan possibilities available for the various family names in my heritage. With discounts across the board on my site, maybe I can generate some additional sales to fund such a "business" expense! This whole process should also be some interesting writing for my blog. With Matt's approval, I could also include a plug for the classes.