Kilt inspired Skirt (help please!)

**Squeaky McMurdo** · 7th January 10, 03:05 PM

Oh yah, I do it all the time. They only use one layer of leather for little collars, my sewing machine can typically handle a small job like this given the right needle. Hand sewing also works, use a thimble though!

**Pleater** · 7th January 10, 03:18 PM

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:

**BEEDEE** · 8th January 10, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by thescot

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

**ali8780** · 7th January 10, 02:24 PM

ok, thank you so much--disaster averted!

Do I need to baste stitch the pleats down before I steam them?

**Squeaky McMurdo** · 7th January 10, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by ali8780

ok, thank you so much--disaster averted!

Do I need to baste stitch the pleats down before I steam them?

That would be the best course of action if you want to make sure they're straight.

Welcome back.

--Chelsea McMurdo--

**ali8780** · 7th January 10, 03:31 PM

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 ;)

**Heming** · 7th January 10, 11:26 PM

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** · 8th January 10, 05:10 AM

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

**ali8780** · 8th January 10, 09:20 AM

Pictures will be forthcoming, don't worry! I'm too excited to share this with all of you to hold back

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

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

That would be clever! I was initially planning on pleating both of the front aprons to keep it a full A-line silhouette, do you think that keeping one flat would take out the fullness? It would be nice to have the extra option though... I like options

I really appreciate everyone's advice and opinions, thanks! (keep them coming

)

Also, some of the fabric I was looking at yesterday was an 80/20 % blend of wool and nylon, could I press it the same way but on a lower heat setting? Or would the process be entirely different?

I'm planning on making my muslin prototype this week...

**KiltShot** · 10th January 10, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

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.M

If with the apron on top it opened on your right, and with the pleats on top it opened on your left, wouldn't that make it an ambisexual kilt? Cool! Almost like when a couple buys one set of pajamas and the man wears the bottom and the woman wears the top, but with the kilt they would have to take turns.