Advice/help needed

**Stoff** · 8th December 16, 07:12 PM

Well, the kilt has finally finished drying. So here we go:

First the kilt prior to washing:

Now the kilt after washing:

And now a closeup:

Still a very attractive tartan. I do wonder if it is a real tartan or just a fashion tartan, what we used to refer to as MacBelks. Now to start the disassembly, and see what we have to work with.

Thanks,
Christoph

**Terry Searl** · 9th December 16, 01:19 AM

I really look forward to your posts AND PHOTOS.......I'm sure you will do a grand job and the finish will be just as you wished

**Stoff** · 10th December 16, 04:04 PM

Well ... Now I have a bit of quandary. I finished disassembly of the kilt today and got a really good look at it. I knew that the inner apron had a lot of damage / holes, that I can figure out ways around that and as it is on the inside patches won't show. But, I discovered that the front apron is not in much better shape, many 1/4" to 3/8" holes in a random scattering. I am thinking about turning this kilt into a mixed media contemporary style kilt. I have some very nice green wool that I could use to make new aprons and use the tartan for the pleats. What do you folks think?

Thanks,
Christoph

**Dollander** · 11th December 16, 12:16 AM

If you're not averse to disassembling it completely and just utilizing the fabric, and depending on how much of the green you have, then perhaps you could make a box pleat kilt and use the tartan for the inside pleats...sort of like a dress version of those Verillas hybrid kilts. That's actually something I've been thinking of doing (albeit in black and HOE's muted Tullibardine), but I won't mind if you beat me to it.

**Stoff** · 12th December 16, 03:52 PM

I don't/didn't have any aversion to disassembling the kilt. This when I discovered the extent of the damage that had been done. I really like your idea of the hybrid kilt, now to figure out exactly how to go about making this type of kilt. It seems to me that the exterior faces of the pleats are separate pieces that are sewn to the inner faces of the pleats, thus forming a single length of wool with which to build a contemporary box pleat kilt.

I am open to any suggestions that those of you who make kilts have to give me. I have made kilts in the past but, they were standard knife pleat kilts made from photos and memory of kilts seen but not examined closely. I do feel that I have adequate undamaged fabric to do this kind of assembly. What I do not know is if any of the remaining pleat sections are wide enough, due to them having their inside portion cut out like any other knife pleat kilt.

If anyone has a source of assembly illustrations for one of these hybrid kilts I would love to be able to look at them. Or even good pictures of the inside and outside of one.

Thanks,
Christoph

Originally Posted by Dollander

If you're not averse to disassembling it completely and just utilizing the fabric, and depending on how much of the green you have, then perhaps you could make a box pleat kilt and use the tartan for the inside pleats...sort of like a dress version of those Verillas hybrid kilts. That's actually something I've been thinking of doing (albeit in black and HOE's muted Tullibardine), but I won't mind if you beat me to it.

**Taskr** · 13th December 16, 01:08 PM

I am also pondering a box pleat hybrid XKilt, with black cotton duck and Cape Breton in the reveal. If you Google "hybrid box pleat" there are many links and images.

It seems to me the method, at least for the XKilt, will be to construct from the cotton duck and place sized panels of the Cape Breton into the reveal prior to sewing in the back-side pleat. I'll use the sett-size and measurements to balance efficiency of tartan cloth in determining the width of the box pleats. The panel would be cut to run from hem to fell. I think the CB is too light to be the full reverse side so mine will be the back panel only. I could also run a few machine stitches along a line to keep the reveal pleat (CB and duck) together, or use some of the facing materials that are available. If the CB was heavy weight, I would probably construct the box pleat and then "replace" the reveal pleat with a the fold over seam of the outer pleat over the tartan. Lots of measuring, cutting and stitching/sewing. But, as you'll notice in your Google image search, some great results from patience.

**Stoff** · 13th December 16, 01:43 PM

I kinda figured that this would end up being very similar to the XKilt. The only issue i have is that I will be working in wool for both and both the solid green I will be using and the tartan are both very similar in weight. So, it looks like I will need to use a similar method to what I can see in the photos of the Verillas hybrid kilt. Using the photos that I have been able to download and blow up, it appears that the different colors are pieced rather than use the contrasting color as an applique. If this works I should have enough tartan or at least two kilts and possibly three, with this one being the prototype. Then all I need to pull out of my stash is the outer color wool.

Thanks,
Christoph

Originally Posted by Taskr

I am also pondering a box pleat hybrid XKilt, with black cotton duck and Cape Breton in the reveal. If you Google "hybrid box pleat" there are many links and images.

It seems to me the method, at least for the XKilt, will be to construct from the cotton duck and place sized panels of the Cape Breton into the reveal prior to sewing in the back-side pleat. I'll use the sett-size and measurements to balance efficiency of tartan cloth in determining the width of the box pleats. The panel would be cut to run from hem to fell. I think the CB is too light to be the full reverse side so mine will be the back panel only. I could also run a few machine stitches along a line to keep the reveal pleat (CB and duck) together, or use some of the facing materials that are available. If the CB was heavy weight, I would probably construct the box pleat and then "replace" the reveal pleat with a the fold over seam of the outer pleat over the tartan. Lots of measuring, cutting and stitching/sewing. But, as you'll notice in your Google image search, some great results from patience.

**Stoff** · 26th December 16, 04:53 PM

Well .... After dismantling Mom's kilt, and it was a chore (she built this thing to last generations), I got angry all over again. I don't know what the fellow that my brother loaned the kilt to did with it but, it looked like it had been shot with a shotgun at fairly close range.

The chalk X's mark just some of the holes:

I have decided to build a hybrid kilt similar to those made by Verillas and started by trying to cut the inside boxes for the box pleats. I ended up having to piece every one of them. I think I did a fair job of it.

Inside boxes, both right side and wrong side:

Stack of ten boxes:

Oh and before I forget, here is the green outer wool with the inner boxes:

So, I am started on this job. Wish me luck.

Christoph

**Barb T** · 29th December 16, 07:54 AM

I assumed that all the holes are moth damage. Isn't that what it is??

**Stoff** · 29th December 16, 09:02 AM

It does not look like what I have seen in the past as moth damage. This lookss more like damage from abuse. I was able to salvage enough for ten inner pleats plus the deep pleats at the aprons for a hybrid box pleat kilt (out of 11 yards of fabric). My plan is to build a hybrid box pleat kilt using the tartan for the inner pleats and an emerald green wool for the outer fabric. Then I am going to use the fringe from the original kilt and I have fringed a square of the tartan to applique to the bottom corner of the outer apron for placement of the kilt pin.

Wish me luck. This is a new technique for me.

Originally Posted by Barb T

I assumed that all the holes are moth damage. Isn't that what it is??