Yardage

**usndoc** · 11th February 05, 11:28 AM

Out of curiosity: When speaking of a kilt made of 4 yards vs 8 yards how is this measured? I made my kilt using 4 yards of 54" material split and joined on the end for a total of 8 yards linear. Would this be an 8 yard kilt or 4 yard? Do all manufacturers figure this the same way? ie. does one 4 yard kilt only contain 1 4 yard roughly 24 inch wide piece of fabric or is it 8 yards of 24 inch?

This is probably the proverbial stupid question but I am just curious what the standard is.

Doc

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 11th February 05, 11:34 AM

It is the (rough) measurement of single width cloth that goes in to making your kilt.

So the kilt you made out of 4 yards of double width cloth, cut and sewn together to make one 8 yard length of single width cloth would be an 8 yard kilt.

Note that not every kilt will have the same amount of material in it. A lot depends both on the size of the repeat of the tartan, and the size of the gentleman. An "8 yard kilt" may have 7, 8, or 9 yards of fabric. Likewise a 4 yard kilt may have 3.5 yards, or 5 yards, etc... Each kilt is different. What we speak of when we speak of a 4 yard or an 8 yard kilt is a general range.

Aye,
Matt

**usndoc** · 11th February 05, 11:44 AM

Thanks Matt,

I had a feeling that it was that way. When I made mine I was amazed that 4 yards double width of material ended up like it did, as in 8 yards long pleated down to roughly 1.5 yards finished.. So now when I see people speaking of 4 yard kilts I keep thinking how light they would be. Also, how few pleats they would have.

So does that mean that 4 yard kilts probably only have about 2 yards of double width fabric in them?

Keep in mind I am not knocking anyones kilt. I am just trying to figure out how to discribe what I made and what to look for if I buy one.

Thanks again.

Doc

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 11th February 05, 12:28 PM

Here's a "general" rule of thumb that you can use:

Casual or 4-yard kilts have pleats that are a bit wider (1-1.5") and the depth is minimal. For the "approximate" yardage... take your hip measurement and write it down (since it's larger than your waist). For every 10" of hip, that's about 1.25 yards of material to use. Yes, that's single length from waist to hemline.

More traditional kilt have narrower pleats (.75-1.25") and the depth their is more substantial. For the "approximate" yardage... take you hip measurement and write it down (since it's larger than your waist). For every 10" of hip, that's about 1.75 yards of material to use. Again, that's single length from waist to hemline.

This is a "rule of thumb" that my teachers have given to me, and it hits right-on about 90% of the time. As Matt said however, the size of the tartan design and the pleating to stripe or sett will make a slight difference.

**usndoc** · 11th February 05, 12:47 PM

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

This is not a question about making the kilt. I have made mine so not as concerned about the pleating. I understand how the number of pleats, depth of pleats, and waist measurement work. I am just trying to understand how the linear material measurements and the finished kilt relate.

I want to be able to tell someone that it is an 8 yard kilt and know that it truly is an 8 yard kilt.

To sum what I am trying to confirm:
an 8 yard kilt = 8 yards of 28" OR 4 yards of 54" split and joined (8yds total).

a 4 yard kilt = 4 yards of 28" OR 2 yards of 28" split and joined (4yds total).

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 11th February 05, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by usndoc

To sum what I am trying to confirm:
an 8 yard kilt = 8 yards of 28" OR 4 yards of 54" split and joined (8yds total).

a 4 yard kilt = 4 yards of 28" OR 2 yards of 28" split and joined (4yds total).

From waist to hem should be around 28" or so in your case. From that... what's the length of the worked material? In your case, it's about 8 yards. That's an 8 yard kilt. Whether it's joined from a larger piece or not, the actual running and worked length of fabric is what you can go by.

Want to get confused? I've made a casual/4-yard kilt for a guy with a 60" waist. Was that actually 4 yards? Nope. It was close to 8 yards, but was in the fashion of a 4 yarder/casual with wider pleats.