Starting a pinstripe kilt suit.

[Erisianmonkey]

Well, I came across a fabric deal I could not pass up. A very nice 2/2 weave twill in grey with a black pinstripe. I'm going with slightly smaller aprons, 1" reveals, and a 3" pleat depth. There's a few challenges facing me with this one. First, the nature of the pinstripes. They run the length of the fabric. I'm therefore taking a leaf out of the FHCAG's book, and sewing pieces selvedge to selvedge. This means that several pleats will have to be adjusted to hide joins. Second, I've no pattern for a jacket. I've searched, but not found anything to my liking. So I'm examining an old suit jacket of mine for basic construction methods, but I'm actually going to be designing the whole jacket from scratch. Exciting, but a little scary too. Another challenge I can see, but am not entirely sure what to do about yet, is how to make sure that I line up the pinstripes on the jacket and the kilt. And of course, the one problem that I won't really be able to do anything about, the fabric is 100% cotton, so I need to make sure I shrink the hell out of it. (not to mention the wrinkle factor that cotton has)

My first thoughts on the jacket:

One of the things I don't like about PC's, Argylls, and Crails is how they hang loose. I have always preferred a closed suit jacket. So I'm designing a kilt jacket that is meant to be worn closed. Straight sleeves. Four button closure. (similar to what one might see on a double breasted jacket) I'm toying with the notion of trimming the bottom of the jacket with bias tape, but I don't know if that will fly or not. I like the idea somewhat, but I'm afraid it might look tacky. I'm also not too sure about shoulder padding. I've always hated it, but will the jacket look right without it?

First thoughts on the kilt:

Pockets. After talking with Steve Ashton when he was down here, I very much like the idea of pockets in this kilt. I'm thinking of doing one rear pocket, and two side pockets, hidden in the apron pleats (like Steve does on his kilts- man, that is such a cool idea, I wish I'd got there first.) The idea here is to make a sporran unnecessary.

[McMurdo]

Wow that is quite an undertaking, good luck with it. From my limited experience I would not have the guts to try something like that, I hope it works out and remember to post pics.

As far as shoulder padding as I understand it you are right, you need it so the jacket hangs properly.

I would suggest that you do some research before taking on the jacket, take a look at the stuff Howie Nicholsby is doing at 21 Century Kilts

http://www.21stcenturykilts.co.uk/funkintro.htm

[Pleater]

Coincidentally I am just doing a pin striped kilt, light grey with a slightly wavy white stripe where the grey is not printed.

I did use a ruler and tape measure when starting out, so as to get the aprons right, but to get the selveges always to meet at the under fold edge of a pleat I jiggled the proposed fold points one stripe at a time so as to obtain the required meeting of edges. I counted the number of stripes available rather than the length of the cloth, and put in an extra pleat, that is one more than I was planning for, so as to get everything to fit almost perfectly. There is an extra stripe on one side, but it would be difficult to spot where.

If you sew the edges together up as far as the fell and then allow the edges to move so as to give you the taper you can sew the rest of the join up to the waist to suit, or if you are going to cut out the back of the fell, just leave it.

I always try to make a selvage join the under fold edge because it is usually a bit stiffer than the rest of the fabric. If it has to go anywhere else I cut off the selvage and make the seam in the fabric. Seams which are going to be under only one layer of fabric usually show, so I try to avoid those now.

Making a kilt from fabric cut across the width is rather different from one made from a single length with a selvage edge - something which I am begining to regard as a luxury project.

However - creating a pieced kilt is a most satisfying thing when it works.

Good luck with the jacket project - I find jackets the most difficult of garments, even more so that coats. The shoulder padding is essential, as is getting the right amount of stiffness in the lapels and collar. It does not have to be much, just right, absolutely right.

[Mark Keeney]

Shoulder pads are needed for the jacket to hang right.
Lining up the stripes from jacket to kilt would be next to impossible because the stripe at the top of the kilt will be smaller because of the taper.
Cotton seems to be an unusual fabric for a Jacket or anything dressy. It just doesn't behave like wool. Wool is easier to sew and to have things line up because it will move. Cotton will show wrinkles faster with every wearing. The bias tape sounds like it would look like a costume instead of a nice kilt jacket. I would do a regular hem instead.

Sounds like an ambitious project (one I wouldn't try without a pattern). Good Luck and post a pic when you are done.

[cavscout]

I'm looking forward to seeing these Pin-stripe kilts. I don't know if I would look good in one but I sure like the way a coordinated pin-stripe kilt suit and jacket look. Good luck and take lots of pics.

[Alan H]

There ARE patterns for Mens suit jackets and "sportcoats" out there. I'm sure the usual places...Simplicity, Butterick etc. have them.You might try looking around.

I've never even considered making a jacket! MAJOR project!

[Erisianmonkey]

Wow that is quite an undertaking, good luck with it. From my limited experience I would not have the guts to try something like that, I hope it works out and remember to post pics.

As far as shoulder padding as I understand it you are right, you need it so the jacket hangs properly.

I would suggest that you do some research before taking on the jacket, take a look at the stuff Howie Nicholsby is doing at 21 Century Kilts

http://www.21stcenturykilts.co.uk/funkintro.htm

Howie does some neat stuff, but none of it is quite what I'm looking for.

Coincidentally I am just doing a pin striped kilt, light grey with a slightly wavy white stripe where the grey is not printed.

I did use a ruler and tape measure when starting out, so as to get the aprons right, but to get the selveges always to meet at the under fold edge of a pleat I jiggled the proposed fold points one stripe at a time so as to obtain the required meeting of edges. I counted the number of stripes available rather than the length of the cloth, and put in an extra pleat, that is one more than I was planning for, so as to get everything to fit almost perfectly. There is an extra stripe on one side, but it would be difficult to spot where.

If you sew the edges together up as far as the fell and then allow the edges to move so as to give you the taper you can sew the rest of the join up to the waist to suit, or if you are going to cut out the back of the fell, just leave it.

I always try to make a selvage join the under fold edge because it is usually a bit stiffer than the rest of the fabric. If it has to go anywhere else I cut off the selvage and make the seam in the fabric. Seams which are going to be under only one layer of fabric usually show, so I try to avoid those now.

Making a kilt from fabric cut across the width is rather different from one made from a single length with a selvage edge - something which I am begining to regard as a luxury project.

However - creating a pieced kilt is a most satisfying thing when it works.

Good luck with the jacket project - I find jackets the most difficult of garments, even more so that coats. The shoulder padding is essential, as is getting the right amount of stiffness in the lapels and collar. It does not have to be much, just right, absolutely right.

Shoulder pads are needed for the jacket to hang right.
Lining up the stripes from jacket to kilt would be next to impossible because the stripe at the top of the kilt will be smaller because of the taper.
Cotton seems to be an unusual fabric for a Jacket or anything dressy. It just doesn't behave like wool. Wool is easier to sew and to have things line up because it will move. Cotton will show wrinkles faster with every wearing. The bias tape sounds like it would look like a costume instead of a nice kilt jacket. I would do a regular hem instead.

Thanks for the advice on shoulder pads guys.

Pleater, I have no real fear on the kilt. I've had to do joins in most of the kilts I've made, there's just more of them here.

Mark, I''ve seen cotton jackets before, and you're right, they wrinkle. But at $2 a yard for fabric of this quality, I wasn't going to hold out for poly. As far as taper being a problem in lining up stripes, that won't quite be the case for me, as all the taper in my kilt will be in the apron edges. Yo're probably right on the bias tape, it was just a passing thought about how to disguise stripes not lining up. I can cite a precedent though, those powder blue tuxedos you see from 70's and early 80's weddings tended to have a trim all the way around. The trim was the only thing about those tuxedos that looked good to me. I thought that bias might make a nice trim. Of course, now that I've had some sleep, I think you're right, too costumey.

There ARE patterns for Mens suit jackets and "sportcoats" out there. I'm sure the usual places...Simplicity, Butterick etc. have them.You might try looking around.

I've never even considered making a jacket! MAJOR project!

Major project yes, pattern availability no. I have been through the online catalogues of Simplicity, all of the McCall's group (Butterick, McCalls, Vogue, etc.) and kwik sew. Not only can I not find a jacket pattern, I can't even find any patterns at all for a man with a 54" chest.

Like I said earlier, I'm disecting an old suit jacket that doesn't fit anymore for a primer on construction methods. I'll actually be building a pattern out of that, allowing for my increased girth from ten years ago when the thing actually fit me. It occurs to me that if (big if) I do this right, I might get two jackets out of this- use the old jacket to build the pattern, build the new jacket, then take the fabric scraps from the cutaways of the old jacket to expand that pattern into a wearable jacket. I don't know if that will happen, (or if it will end up looking incredibly tacky) but it might just be worth a shot!

[Mr. MacDougall]

I'll be interested in seeing your results. I'll confess that a pin-stripe kilt is something I've thought of, as well, perhaps influenced by Cornelius Fudge's pin-striped wizard robes.

[Erisianmonkey]

I'll be interested in seeing your results. I'll confess that a pin-stripe kilt is something I've thought of, as well, perhaps influenced by Cornelius Fudge's pin-striped wizard robes.

I've been doing some calculations, and if I have the amount of fabric left that I think I will, I'll be doing a matched cloak.

[ccga3359]

I'll be interested in seeing your results. I'll confess that a pin-stripe kilt is something I've thought of, as well, perhaps influenced by Cornelius Fudge's pin-striped wizard robes.

Or follow the book and do them in lime green!