Hemming an off the rack kilt

[usary]

Hello friends,
I have been looking at some of the poly fabric kilts from suppliers like Still Water.
They look like a great value for kicking around in a casual setting.

Problem is that the standard length (24") is too long to look good on me.
I have thought about having it hemmed by a pro, but then I am thinking that the hem would keep it from hanging right or pleating well.

Has anyone here tried hemming a PV type kilt?
How did it go?

Thanks for the advice

[BEEDEE]

First off - SWK kilts are not polyviscose, they are acrylic. Here's a link to hemming a SWK but note it's a heavyweight wool kilt. http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/h...hlight=hemming Might not be quite the same with acrylic.

Brian

[usary]

Thanks for the material tip and the link to the discussion thread.

From there, I also found the link to http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/h...577/index.html.

I honestly had tried the search function prior to posting but kept getting lost in other posts that were engrossing reads but not as helpful.

Jerry

[slohairt]

It really depends on how short you want to make the hemmed kilt. If you shorten it too much, the fell (the stitched portion of the pleats) will be too long. (i.e. no longer 1/3 of the kilt's length.)

[Phogfan86]

Don't overthink this. If you purchase a SWK, Jerry includes a little piece of paper with all his kilts -- the acrylic ones, anyway -- that says to hem them with a machine-sewn blind hem stitch. I've had my sister do that to three SWKs. She's a fine seamstress but far from a tailor, and they look just fine.

[Bugbear]

While you're at it you could put in the adjustment to the underapron edge and first pleat edge that most kilts would have as a hem; just turn it up a little extra in those areas. And be real careful with the heat when pressing or removing a crease in acrylic. I used steam from a Steam Buddy to heat the fabric, then a cold iron to put pressure on the fabric when I corrected the apron edge and pressed the first pleat and underapron hems.

[MrLion]

My brother had his SWK heavyweight/wool kilt hemmed, 1 inch shorter, by a local seamstress. Cost him $20 for that and $8 more to have it ironed. It came out great!
(I'm trying to convince the lad to buy his own iron).

[McNulty]

I've had all of my SWK kilts hemmed by a local seamstress and both SWK standards and wools have come out great. For $30 she's done a super job shortening them to 22" and ironing her work.
Nulty