First post and first kilt

[psyopper]

Thanks for the compliment!

Pressing takes more time, but the end result seems to be worthwhile and will definitely be done on my next kilt! Kilting (and any garment making really) is new to me, I've been sticking to gear making with cordura, and specifically for netbook sleeves: http://shop.psyopper.com. Working with materials that flex and move confounds me so I'm particularly surprised it came out this straight.

So what you are describing with the taper, in my own words is... From the fell to about an inch above the fell stitch in the same straight pleat | | then do the taper from there to the waist?

I almost think I like the fact that the pleats open a bit when worn at rest. It's already a non-traditional kilt and this seems to give it a more relaxed, less formal look, more rugged look. But it's good to know how to do it and be able to add that skill and knowledge to my tool box.

I actually wore it out to a bar last night and got quite a few compliments on it. The girls liked the fact that I was wearing a "dress" and one commented that "it's got a good line to it". One of the big bearded bikers simply said "You made that eh? I have a 40 inch waist..." Living in Portland, Oregon helps as everyone here has their own style and none of them are looked down upon. If it's strange the worst thing you hear is "Well, that's very Portland."

One last question. I understand a box pleat and a knife edge pleat, but can someone describe a reverse Kingusse pleat?

That is a rather fine looking kilt for a first one - you seem to have got everything pretty even and aligned.

I prefer to press all the outer folds on my kilts before I start to sew - I make reverse Kingussie kilts rather than box pleats, but I like to get the creases spot on when I can still isolate them from the rest of the folds and fabric and get a sharp crease.

I think the kilts I have made with pre pressed folds have resulted in neater pleats in the long run.

The problem with the taper continuing down the pleats could be because you sewed only a taper. If you had sewn maybe half an inch to an inch straight below the taper the lower part would fall straight from that.

You would need to be sure that you were sewing the straight part below your widest contour so the kilt was not pulled out of line, but it should turn the / \ of the shaping to the l l of the lower part.

When fitting your kilt you need to add enough extra circumference so that the garment skims the body shape rather than being held close to it. You can then move without the kilt being flexed and the seams put under tension with every step. The difference between the body measurement and the garment measurement is called ease, and the amount of ease required depends mostly on the thickness of the fabric and how flexible it is, and how tightly it is woven - a loose weave might require an extra half inch so there is less tension on it, as if pulled tight the fabric would quickly begin to sag out of shape and look worn.

If you are using a fabric which is fairly soft and revealing you can line the under apron to make it more rigid.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[vorpallemur]

One last question. I understand a box pleat and a knife edge pleat, but can someone describe a reverse Kingusse pleat?

It's what Utilikilts, and a number of other contemporary kilts are. A traditional kilt has knife pleats, all opening towards the right hip. A reverse Kingussie pleated kilt has knife pleats going towards the back; they meet in the center back, in a box pleat. It's got some advantages over traditional pleating; it's easier to sit in, for one.

[psyopper]

Interesting. Thank you for clarifying this, I had presumed this to be the natural way to make a knife edge kilt, but only shows my ignorance towards traditional kilt making.

It's what Utilikilts, and a number of other contemporary kilts are. A traditional kilt has knife pleats, all opening towards the right hip. A reverse Kingussie pleated kilt has knife pleats going towards the back; they meet in the center back, in a box pleat. It's got some advantages over traditional pleating; it's easier to sit in, for one.

[Pleater]

You got the idea of my suggestion right - you might find that if you want to make something a bit more formal that it requires the pleats to be a bit more sleekit down.

I think that the length of straight stitching required would depend on the type of fabric, some being more compliant than others.

I am a great admirer of the double box pleated kilts produced by Lady Crystal (that might not be spelt right) which look exceedingly neat and wonderfully well made.

The reverse Kingussie kilts I make are perfect mirror images, the left side being as a normal knife pleat, except that I make the centre back pleat twice the depth of the small pleats, and about the same size as the under apron pleat. I find this arrangement suitable for vaulting gates and getting over styles and fences, should that become necessary.

I started out making Kingussie style kilts, but found that the forward facing pleats caught on every bit of vegetation, door and drawer handles - so it was rapidly altered to backward facing pleats even before I knew that was already a preferred option and had a name.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[MacKay71]

Welcome to X-marks from Atlanta! The kilt looks good!

[Colonel MacNeal]

Wilkommen!

[Alan H]

I expect that your kilt's hip line has the exterior measurement that you want for the interior. Remember that the outside is longer than the inside. There are quite a few layers of fabric in even an X kilt, so the inside can be a bit smaller than you thought it was going to be.

.......a lesson it took me about 20 kilts to figure out. Arrrgh. I really should re-do the X-Kilt instructions and have everybody add in an extra inch for exactly this reason.

At any rate, your tactical kilt is the schiznit, and there's no other one quite like it! Well done!

[fudgeman]

from Charlotte, NC

[longhuntr74]

psyopper....awesome kilt. I can't wait to get home from "The 'stan" to try one myself. Since my family still lives at Fort Bragg, I might make a trip to the museum to see Matt sometime and get some pointers from him too!!!