Hair Canvas in the Apron of a Canvas Kilt

[Bugbear]

This is just an observation about the canvas or all cotton kilts, and I am not suggesting anyone do this to a kilt; it was an experiment. I just finished putting hair canvas in the upper part of my canvas kilt's front apron; it makes a huge difference.

I had made a change in the angle of the right hand edge of the front apron because that is one of the things that bothered me about the kilt. One of the other issues that I had with the kilt was the wrinkling and puckering of the apron when I sat down, and that had to be smoothed over when I stood back up. The pleats have to be straitened a bit when standing back up, like a pleat sweep, so not having to worry about the apron much is nice.

Since I had it partly unsewn (I had to remove the strap to move the facing hem), I decided to go for it. I happened to have the right kind of hair canvas laying around too. I did not take the whole apron apart. I do not use a sewing machine, so I wanted to undo as little stitching as possible. It was very difficult to sew the hair canvas in there without taking the waistband etc off, and I had to redo and rethink it a few times. I got the results I wanted, though.

I know a lot of mass produced kilts, made from both wool and other materials, now a days do not have any hair canvas in the aprons. I have seen first hand now that this is an important feature on a kilt.

* As a side note, there are some other things that need to be corrected on this same kilt, so the work is not finished. Also, I am calling the kilt canvas because that is what the Buzz Kidder web site calls it; it's an all cotton fabric.

[Rex_Tremende]

Also, I am calling the kilt canvas because that is what the Buzz Kidder web site calls it; it's an all cotton fabric.

I'm glad you are calling it a kilt and have stopped calling it your man skirt.

You are so industrious.

Regards,
Rex.

[Bugbear]

I'm glad you are calling it a kilt and have stopped calling it your man skirt.

You are so industrious.

Regards,
Rex.

I did not coin that term, but am glad it should no longer be used here.

There were a few parts of the kilt that needed to be changed, but I'm used to doing this on some of my other clothing. I think my kilt had a misplaced buckle on the right side, and I will be moving it.

I like the Buzz Kidder kilt; it just needed a few adjustments to fit a little better.

Interestingly, my relatives worked in the cotton industry, for example, my mother picked cotton as a young child for fifty cents a day, and my grandfather worked at a cotton gin when I was growing up

So, though it does require extra ironing, I like the idea of using cotton for this kind of kilt.

Thanks Rex.

[Smayniac]

I added fusible interfacing to the apron of one of my xkilts and will do the same on the one I am planning.

Bob

[Bugbear]

I used heavy weight Hymo. I think most kilt aprons need something to keep the sharp folds and puckering from forming and also to spring it back in shape.

Though this is not the source from which I purchased my kilt, here is what the Scottish Tartans museum says about the Buzz Kidder kilt:
"Our line of cotton canvas kilts are made from 6 to 8 yards of cloth (more than enough for deep knife pleats). The material is a 10 oz. weight Army Duck
canvas (the same weight as our light weight woolen kilts), woven and dyed right here in North Carolina. The kilts are hand pleated, and machine sewn."

from: Solid Color Canvas Casual Kilts

Just thought I would post that to show what I was talking about on the canvas part.

[MMorgan]

Interfacing basically is just a backer that helps stiffen up the material its attached to right??? (I know NOTHING about sewing LOL learning this stuff as I go along)

[KiltedBrewer]

Bob,

Did you back the entire front apron? What was the benefit of it?

I have lots of fusible interfacing left over from a no-sew costume construction project and it seems like it would leave the apron really stiff. (Then again, I've never used it as actual interfacing.) I'd love to use it if it will help my next x-kilt.

David, who also knows next to nothing about sewing

[Bugbear]

Here's the hair canvas I used:
Heavy Weight Hymo - 72 - Natural - $9.95 B. Black And Sons Fabrics
Barb tracked that down a while back during the great hair canvas scare of aught nine.

And again, I don't suggest doing this to an already-built-kilt because it was quite a task; it's just the first part of an experiment with this kilt. I can see that the canvas apron behaves much better with the hair canvas behind it, though.

I don't like fusable interfacing for this function. It's similar to what the hair canvas in a suit jacket does. I can't speak for what it would do for lots of the other materiels used in the non-wool kilts, but it does seam to help the acrylic apron too. I'm still experimenting with that kilt, and it's a little different approach.

[vorpallemur]

Interfacing basically is just a backer that helps stiffen up the material its attached to right??? (I know NOTHING about sewing LOL learning this stuff as I go along)

Interfacing is typically used for a few reasons, either singlely, or in combination.

1) it's used to stiffen, as in dress shirt cuffs and collars.
2) keep fabric from stretching. Often used around armsyce (the hole the sleeve is attached to), neck holes, cuffs, pocket attachments, zippers, etc.
3) strengthen the fabric, where something is attached (a button, for instance)
or a hole cut in it (buttonholes, pocket slits)
4) change the way the fabric drapes or hangs. For instance, good quality men's suits have a piece of hair canvas (same stuff used in traditional kilts, more or less) in the lapels. It's shaped into a curved shape, and the bottom piece stiched to it (using a special stitch called a pad stitch) while in that curve. (There exist machines to do this; they're fantastically expensive, on the order of $50,000, and you need two) The stitched in interfacing keeps the lapels in their proper curved shape.
5) keep fabric from holding a shape other than its intended one.

Of course, these reasons are often used in combination. The front placket of a dress shirt may have fairly stiff interfacing in it, which stiffens it, but also serves as reinforcement for the button holes, keeping them from pulling out of shape. A casual shirt, made with out stiff collar, cuffs, and plackets, is likely to have interfacing in all the same places. It may be of lighter weight, made of different material -- a strechable knit, instead of stiff non-woven, for instance -- or attached differently (sew in, instead of fused). But, if the shirt's well made, it's still there.

[Bugbear]

Ya, what vorpallemur said.