Kilt inspired Skirt (help please!)

[Pleater]

I'm not entirely certain that if you are making something which is kilt-ish that you pleat and fasten it the other way round.

I wore kilts at school and they were made in the same way as a man's/highland dancer's kilt and fastened on the right.

That would be about 50 years ago now.

I sometimes wear kimono and they always close left over right, so I never thought about making my kilts the other way around.

However, kilts for grown women are usually made a modest 27 inches long - that is one half the full width of the fabric. They are usually made from lighter stuff, 10 or 12 oz rather than the heavier weights used for men.

Pressing the pleats into wool is a physical task - I find it easier to fold the fabric and press in the outer folds one at a time, before doing any sewing.

I take great care to fold the fabric exactly right, and press from the side which will be on the inside. Take a smooth cotton cloth, long enough to cover the entire length you want to press. Dip the cloth in warm water and squeeze it so it is just damp. Lay it over the fold, then take your iron and bring it down onto the cloth, compressing the fold. Do not slide the iron, pick it up and bring it down a little further along the fold. You need lots of steam, and you will put an almost permanent kink into the fabric.

Do not do this if you have a fabric with any man made fibre in it. They require lighter gentler treatment.

If you are going to make the pleats with a straight edge all the way from lower edge to waist then press the edge first. If you plan to 'bend' the top of the pleat like a dart then just press from the lower edge of the fell downwards.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[ali8780]

Anne, you are a lifesaver, thanks for the advice. I'm glad to hear that the pleats will be basically permanent, I'd hate to have to do that too often ;)

[Highlander31]

Welcome back.

Hothir Ethelnor pretty much covered it,...including the link to Highland X Press.

[CWKchic]

Make sure you have a nice wide under pleat for your first one so it has room for movement with out flying open. I have several if you need more info feel free to get ahold of me

[Heming]

I would probably make it open on the left, and avoid pleating the under apron. Other than that, get The Book and adjust the instructions to fit your ideas!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Welcome back Ali! I was just thinking the other day that it had been some time since you posted. Good to see you.

Good luck on your skirt. Others here have already offered good advice, but that won't stop me from chiming in.

Typically, a lady's kilt skirt will close on the left, opposite from a man's kilt. But I've also seen plenty of lady's skirts that close on the right, so there really is no hard and fast rule here. Sometimes when I make skirts for lady's they specifically request that it close on the right, so it really is just a matter of preference.

If you are feeling clever, you might work it so that one of the front aprons is pleated and one flat, so that by closing it one way you have what looks like a standard kilted skirt; while closing it the other way would give you a skirt pleated all around.

Let me know if you need any help. We all look forward to seeing the finished product!
M

[Oddern]

I have used these straps on a girls kilt for my daugther: http://cgi.ebay.com/Skirt-BUCKLES-an...item2a03d7864e

[BEEDEE]

P.S. Men's kilts tend to have pretty heavy straps on them. For a girl's skirt, I'm pretty sure you can find something lighter (and cheaper?) at JoAnn's fabrics or somewhere like that.

Ali - I have used straps form Stillwater Kilts on several box pleat kilts I have made. There are lighter than most but of good quality.

Brian

[Mac Ghille Sheathanaich]

I buy buckles for the kilts I make at Tandy's. they have a good selection of different styles to choose from. also, paw through their scrap leather bins. Chances are that you'll find something light weight enough to cut straps and the sew-on buckle tabs with. Until I bought my strap slitter, I just used a straightedge and an exacto knife to cut kilt straps. A rotary head leather punch is pretty ham-dandy too.

I make leather buckle tabs rather than fabric ones. One, they can't be seen anyway when wearing the garment; and Two, they are much more durable and easier to take off and move if necessary.

Finding a tartan fabric at JoAnn's might be a bit tough. Ours has gotten rid of all the bolts of tartan they had which were poly/cotton; in lieu of spring fabrics. Wrong time of the year to be looking for fall/winter fabrics, unless you can stumble on to a close-out, which is still possible.

Regards aye,

T.

[Dixiecat]

--is there a specific side it should buckle on for women?

Nope. Just a tradition saying the left side, but who cares? Putting fastenings on the left for mostly right-handed women is just silly. Put your buckles on the side that makes most sense for you. If you're left-handed, on the left, if you're right-handed, on the right.

Don't forget, pictures or it never happened.