question regarding my first xkilt

[plaid preacher]

hmmm, now there's an idea! A sheet metal kilt. Would you advise rivets or welding to hold the pleats in place? It get's pretty cold here in the winter, so I probably would only wear it in the summer. Come to think of it, I don't know if I'd want to be sitting around in a metal kilt in summer either -- gives a whole new meaning to cat on a hot tin roof. Guess I'll stick to cotton twill.

[Dixiecat]

Sometimes you'll find fabrics labelled as bottomweights for fabrics more suitable for trousers - or kilts!

The pattern company I worked for used halves and even quarter measurements to ensure custom fit. In order to do it most accurately, wear a long top or pant that has a nicely positioned side seam and measure from one side seam all the way around to get a total circumference, them measure just the front (since it's easier) from side seam to side seam. Subtract that from your full measurement and you'll have your back side. If you do this at both your waist and your hip, you'll be able to see where you're fullest and plan appropriately.

[plaid preacher]

Well, I'm afraid that even using the front side of my waist and the back side of my hips I still come up with the same 40 inch total. So I guess I will work in a slight taper of 3 inches.

On the plus side, I cut my fabric this evening and pressed my hem. Hopefully before the weekend is out I will sew the hem and lay out the pleats.

[plaid preacher]

Last night I had my wife reintroduce me to the sewing machine -- it's been a long time since Juniour High School -- and I hemed my fabric and sewed up the velco on the apron strip. Then I chalked in the fell line. AFter that I had to stop and come back here to find out how big the under apron should be. Didn't find the nifty mathematical formula I was looking for. Fortunately, my kilt is going on a 41 inch rump measurement, so I'm going with a 16" underapron as per Alan's diagram in App 1. It's basically my kilt ... when laid flat. Will keep you apprised of the progress.

oh, BTW, I think I did a darn good job sewing a 4 meter straight line.

[plaid preacher]

QUESTION regarding the inner pleat ... do I stitch it down like I did the 10 pleats I calculated I need or will it just be folded a left unstitched?

Just so you know I spent the evening stitching the edges of my box pleats into place. I hope tomorrow to do the folding and pressing for the inner pleats.

Wifey is impressed!

[sydnie7]

Definitely edge-stitched every fold you make. If you are using a washable material, it will not hold those folds through the first washing. The edge-stitching makes it a lot easier to iron/press the kilt after washing (or wearing) and restore the pleats.

Great progress and be sure to take some pictures!

[plaid preacher]

Pictures you say??? Well here you go. This is what it looked like when I started today. with the edges of my box pleats sewn down.
100_1803.jpg
Here it is with my pleats pinned up and ready to be tacked in:
100_1806.jpg
And here it is... looking almost like a kilt:100_1808.jpg

Now for a question... I have pleated from the junction of pleats 1 & 2 to the junction of 9 &10. I am having trouble trying to figure out what to do with the 2 inner pleats, which may explain why my measurement is 3 inches to big. Can someone tell me what I have forgotted to do with those two pleats? Thanks. Robert

[plaid preacher]

Oh and did I say ... I'm am really pretty impressed with myself? I am so excited right now that I am thinking I will try to get this project done so I have a kilt to wear on St. Andrew's Day. I think it might be doable.

[plaid preacher]

..and finally, a picture of my fell, all sewn.
100_1810.jpg

Now to figure out the aprons and I think we will be almost done

[Alan H]

There you go. You're doing it, and doing a grand job, too.

Have you sewn anything at all in the past 20 years? NO. You're living, sewing proof that pretty much anybody can do this if they set their mind to it. Even your wife thinks you're cool.

BTW, that 16 inch under-apron thing is if you're making your X-Kilt so that it wraps around the hips quite a bit. If you're making an X-Kilt with pleats that stop mid hips.....so that your waist measurement of "pleats' is about 20 inches and your waistline measurement of "apron" is about 20 inches, then I'd make that under-apron closer to 20 inches. If you've already cut it out, then don't worry about it and carry on.