Remodeling Project

[Tim B]

I received my very first store bought kilt from SWK for Christmas...a Thrifty in a Wallace tartan. The kilts that I have made in the past two months usually have a length of 26 to 27 inches, but I thouhgt that maybe the SWK in a standard 24" without a sewn down fell, could work as a casual kilt and I could wear it lower on my waist. Well, unfortunately, I had to wear it litterally on my hip bones for it to reach just above my knees...It looked awful. So I thought I would try to alter it.

I had known for a week and a half that "THE BOOK" was sitting under my Christmas tree, with threats from the wife not to open it till Christmas. So with the book AND the downloaded box pleated kilt instructions from Barb and Matt, I thought that I would remodel my Thrifty into a box pleat.

I took it completely apart. Seam ripped the waist band and the apron fringe and all of the velcro as well as the SWK tag (Sorry, Jerry). After I ironed the fabric and measured it, I was surprised to find that it only was a few inches longer than 3 3/4 yards long! But I used the method used in Matt and Barbs download to test to see if I had enough material and I did although I had to fudge on the size of the deep pleats and the hem on the aprons.

The Thrifty waistband is about 3 or 3 1/2 inches wide. Only a small part is sew in the front and the rest folds over te top and is behind the kilt. I took the waistband and pined if face down to the front of the kilt with the bottom edge of the waistband lined up with the top of the kilt. Then I sewed the two together, sewing about a quarter inch down from the top. This gave me an additional 2 1/2 to 3 inches of length because the wide waistband that he previsously been used to stiffen up the original kilt, was now sewn ABOVE the top of the kilt. Then I found some scrap material that I sewed to the back of the waistband to cover the iron on facing that was behind the waistband, and to cover the quarter inch seam that piecing the waistband to the top of the kilt left. Tacked the whole thing down, basted the pleats, added an "A" shape to the aprons put a buckle on the overapron side only, and pressed the whole thing down. After about 12 hours of work, I ended up with a better fitting box pleated kilt with sewn down pleats, tappered fell and a buckle fastener. Not bad for an original investment of thirty some bucks!

I'll post pictures when I can.

Tim B.

[Carolina Kiltman]

You are fortunate in that a "fudge factor" was built into the SWK. Any mass produced item is a "nickle and dime" business, and material is generally cheaper than labour, hence the depth of the waistband. Sounds as if you scored on this one! Congratulations.

[Alan H]

Well done...looking forward to seeing it.