Too small - wear at hips or modify?

[Hawk]

....along the line of what Chas said and Father Bill, it may be time to retire it, or spend some time on "the rack" and stretch a bit.....

....of course, if it needs a good home, may I suggest this ole long-haired traditional native man....

Hawk

[gwynng]

Don't just cut open a pleat to give you more room!!!! Pleats are cut out from behind to reduce the bulk in the back of the kilt, so cutting out a pleat to open up for a larger waist could spell disaster. You can get some extra inches if you have a nice big deep pleat and reverse pleat next to the aprons. There are kilt makers out there who can do that kind of work, but it isn't cheap, so may not be worth doing on an inexpensive kilt. Extenders and moving the buckles seem like the best option. Or selling and replace.

[kiltedrennie]

If what I am seeing is correct, I don't think you have enough under-apron to use extenders or move the buckle and strap.

Time to replace it I think - or lose those 6 inches.

Sorry.

Or grow taller.

I'm not over weight I'm under tall! That's pretty much what I thought. I'm using the second hole on both buckles now and the under-apron barely runs all the way across.

Well, as I said it wasn't expensive. I'll simply replace and retire it.

[kiltedrennie]

Don't just cut open a pleat to give you more room!!!! Pleats are cut out from behind to reduce the bulk in the back of the kilt, so cutting out a pleat to open up for a larger waist could spell disaster. You can get some extra inches if you have a nice big deep pleat and reverse pleat next to the aprons. There are kilt makers out there who can do that kind of work, but it isn't cheap, so may not be worth doing on an inexpensive kilt. Extenders and moving the buckles seem like the best option. Or selling and replace.

That must have been what I was thinking of. I'm sure you're right and it wouldn't work.

[The Wizard of BC]

From the picture on stage it is a bit hard to tell for certain but I'm pretty sure your kilt is not P/V but some other synthetic material.
I'm also pretty sure it was not an overly expensive custom made kilt.

That said there is good news and bad news.

The good news is that it is unlikely that the pleats are cut away on your kilt. Most of the mass produced kilts from overseas do not have the pleats cut away.
This would mean that you can indeed rip out the pleat stitching, spread the pleat width a bit, and re-stitch the kilt.

It also appears from the photo that the Fell of your kilt is not sewn down at all. If the pleats are simply gathered into the waistband this is the bad news.
What you may need to do in this case is take the kilt completely apart and start from scratch.

You said you are handy. Would you like to give kiltmaking a try?

[MacCathmhaoil]

Could you not take the left buckle off and re-install it under the front apron like Matt does, I believe. I though this idea in making a kilt is brilliant (particularily as i get older and less easy to bend and wrestle with the strap, hole and buckle) and may be a solution, it seems like it may buy you a bit of leeway. Perhaps Steve can comment.

[kiltedrennie]

From the picture on stage it is a bit hard to tell for certain but I'm pretty sure your kilt is not P/V but some other synthetic material.
I'm also pretty sure it was not an overly expensive custom made kilt.

That said there is good news and bad news.

The good news is that it is unlikely that the pleats are cut away on your kilt. Most of the mass produced kilts from overseas do not have the pleats cut away.
This would mean that you can indeed rip out the pleat stitching, spread the pleat width a bit, and re-stitch the kilt.

It also appears from the photo that the Fell of your kilt is not sewn down at all. If the pleats are simply gathered into the waistband this is the bad news.
What you may need to do in this case is take the kilt completely apart and start from scratch.

You said you are handy. Would you like to give kiltmaking a try?

I took a closer look at the kilt last night.

It's acrylic not PV.

The pleats are not cut away. In fact, there are just two machine stitches holding the pleats down using black thread sewn along one of the black lines. The pleats are also pretty deep - at least three inches. I might be able to deconstruct the kilt and change the pleating pattern to another stripe or just make fewer pleats to get the width I need.

I have actually been thinking about making a kilt and have bought The Art of Kiltmaking. This might be a good first project for me.

[Liam]

I took a closer look at the kilt last night.

It's acrylic not PV.

The pleats are not cut away. In fact, there are just two machine stitches holding the pleats down using black thread sewn along one of the black lines. The pleats are also pretty deep - at least three inches. I might be able to deconstruct the kilt and change the pleating pattern to another stripe or just make fewer pleats to get the width I need.

I have actually been thinking about making a kilt and have bought The Art of Kiltmaking. This might be a good first project for me.

I would suggest selling or donating it to someone who it would fit properly (not me).
BTW, is your surname Rennie (as mine is) or are you using "rennie" as a shortened/slang form of renaissance?

Cheers....Bill

[kiltedrennie]

I would suggest selling or donating it to someone who it would fit properly (not me).
BTW, is your surname Rennie (as mine is) or are you using "rennie" as a shortened/slang form of renaissance?

Cheers....Bill

Rennie is short for Renaissance. My first kilt was a great kilt that I wear to the Michigan Renaissance Festival as a playtron. My surname is actually Miller. My MacQueen Scottish heritage is from the maternal side.

[Liam]

Rennie is short for Renaissance. My first kilt was a great kilt that I wear to the Michigan Renaissance Festival as a playtron. My surname is actually Miller. My MacQueen Scottish heritage is from the maternal side.

So I guess if I attend a Renaissance Festival. I could refer to myself as a RennieRennie, or a Rennie Squared.....