First attempt...

[Kilted Taper]

I do take the words as kind advice, and actually re-did pleat #2 twice. Once when I finally got some thread to match the fabric, and again as I didn't like how it was lining up. Still not happy with how it's coming out, but the stripes are matching up much better.

As for the thimble, my wife grabbed her athletic tape (that's what you get when your wife does judo, runs 1/2 marathons and goes to the gym everyday) and taped up my finger. That's been working quite well.

There is a big part of me that wants to get this done and I feel as a result I am rushing through it and not giving it the attention to detail it deserves. I took tonight off to hopefully step back, take a deep breath and relax. 5 pleats are done, and though it doesn't look nearly as good as W2F's XMark (great work by the way), I must tell myself this is the first thing I've ever sewn in my life and to not be so hard on myself. It won't be a Barb T, Kathy L, Matt, Rocky, Steven A, etc. kilt, but it will be a kilt I've sewn with my own two hands. That means a lot to me.

[chasem]

I must tell myself this is the first thing I've ever sewn in my life and to not be so hard on myself. It won't be a Barb T, Kathy L, Matt, Rocky, Steven A, etc. kilt, but it will be a kilt I've sewn with my own two hands. That means a lot to me.

That was pretty much the approach I took with my first kilt. I hadn't sewn anything at that point either, aside from a few buttons. I just did my best to follow Barb's directions, and it turned out okay. The pleats are a tad off, and the stripes don't match up perfectly, but it's not bad for my first go.

I've made two more since then (one 6-yard knife pleat, one 3.5 yard box pleat) and they get exponentially better. Time and practice are the key

[Pleater]

Practice and taking care are the keys, I think.

You really do need to set your mind to work at how best to work on the pleats, how you sit and how you hold the pleats, what pins you use - even how long the needle should be, will all be part of getting your technique perfected.

I've been sewing clothes and household things for about 50 years, so the idea of hand sewing a kilt is not all that daunting for me - it must be quite an undertaking if it is a first project. It does look as though you have made a good start - though a kilt usually means that you have plenty of pleats to practise on before you get to wear it.

With making and remaking kilts I have probably done ten or so entirely by hand now, from the straight strip of material to the finished item. I think I prefer it to sewing by machine, and like the ability to ease in and smooth out which hand sewing gives, because you can turn the fabric and folds through three dimensions in your hands rather than having the work laid down flat on the sewing machine.

I don't know if it is the case where you are, but here in the UK there have been numerous books published as aids to sewing/dressmaking. You might be able to find one at a charity shop (thrift shop?) or at your local lending library which gives lots of different stitches for various fabrics and for different effects. There might be only two or three which are going to be of much use to you, but combined with exposure to all the different techniques of construction, how to alter garments for figure and posture faults, the book should enable you to understand how to get around any difficulties you might come across in making a kilt, and give you alternative stitches to use on different seams and edges.

[turpin]

As for the thimble, my wife grabbed her athletic tape (that's what you get when your wife does judo, runs 1/2 marathons and goes to the gym everyday) and taped up my finger. That's been working quite well.

Check out this thread on a comfortable thimble.

[Barb T]

Sounds like you're doing really well so far! I'm glad to see that Turpin mentioned the thimble thread - it's a really easy thimble to make and very comfortable to use.

B

[beerbecue]

I usually end up using a band-aid and tape for a thimble......

[Kilted Taper]

Just a quick update...I now have 12 pleats done and need to join the two pieces together. I thought getting the pleats started was confusing...I've read over the join directions several times and I'm still unsure what I'm doing. Maybe if I read while I'm trying to do it it will make sense, instead of trying to visualize in my head. Here are a couple a pics:

Full shot:


Pleats:





I had to hold it up against me last night, just to see it and I'm slightly scared it's about 1/2" - 1" too long. Held it up against my X-Marks and it confirmed it was longer. Not sure I want to go back now and make that adjustment.

[chasem]

Just a quick update...I now have 12 pleats done and need to join the two pieces together. I thought getting the pleats started was confusing...I've read over the join directions several times and I'm still unsure what I'm doing. Maybe if I read while I'm trying to do it it will make sense, instead of trying to visualize in my head.

I had a hard time wrapping my mind around that too. However, I eventually figured it out. My first one had a terrible join, as I just sewed the two ends together due to not having wrapped my mind around the concept. My second one had a proper join, and it's not too hard once you realize what's going on.

Initially, though, you just sew the next pleat as though it were part of the same piece of material. Just line it up and sew, the same as you have the rest of the pleats. You'll come back later to stitch the excess fabric of the join together.

[Kilted Taper]

So...if I understand you right...Just go ahead on with the second piece of tartan and join after I've finished all the pleats?

[turpin]

I had to hold it up against me last night, just to see it and I'm slightly scared it's about 1/2" - 1" too long. Held it up against my X-Marks and it confirmed it was longer. Not sure I want to go back now and make that adjustment.

if you haven't yet constructed the waist, can't you cut length from the top without removing pleats?