Weight & Yardage of a Kilt ???-Puffer

[puffer]

How is the easiest & best way to
1. Determine the wool wt of a Kilt ??
2. Determine the "yardage ??

Thank you

Puffer

[KFCarter]

Puffer, there was a discussion on the thread below that may answer some of your questions:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/o...yardage+weight

[Barb T]

Are you talking about an existing kilt or about something that's not made yet??

[Pleater]

If you have a kilt and want to work back to the fabric it is made from you need to start by using a tape measure along the bottom of the kilt to get the 'HX' - the horizontal measurement. Work in feet and convert to yards is easiest for me.

Measure the distance from top to lower edges, the 'VX' or vertical measurement. Write it down in inches and convert to a fraction or a decimal of a yard, that is VX divided by 36. A 24 inch VX is 2/3rds of a yard.

Assess the inside of the kilt, if possible. to see if the inner part of the pleats have been cut away, and how much strengthening and lining there is. When you weigh the kilt you need to estimate what fabric was lost, and how much extra weight added. A waistband is normally only a few ounces, and adds only a small amount of extra length, so it is not really necessary to account for it unless it is larger than usual.

If you multiply the HX by the VX you will get the number of square yards in the kilt - if you want to use the measurements in feet then divide the result by nine, which is also square yards.

If you divide the estimated weight of fabric in ounces by the number of square yards then multiply the result by 3/2 - as there are usually one and a half yards across the width of the cloth - then that should be the quoted weight of the fabric.

What was the question again?

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[puffer]

Are you talking about an existing kilt or about something that's not made yet??

Existing Kilt. ?? from a NEWBE

Puffer

[Barb T]

In terms of yardage, realize that if you take a tape and measure the distance from the fringe edge to the underapron edge, it will be a number that's smaller (sometimes quite a bit smaller) than the kiltmaker started with. So, if you think you have an "8 yard kilt", don't be surprised that your kilt doesn't measure 8 yards from stem to stern. But, the kiltmaker hasn't cheated you! Here's where the "missing" fabric went:

- In order to choose the best center front stripe, there's typically some left over that's cut off the apron edge before fringing. Ditto on the underapron edge. Then the apron and underapron edges are folded double to make a facing.

-Also, if a kilt is pleated to the sett, a kilt will almost always have an odd # of pleats (most kilts pleated to the sett have a center back stripe and an equal # of pleats on each side of the center stripes). So, a kilt pleated to the sett can have 25 or 27 pleats, but not 26 pleats. Particularly if the sett is large, you might have enough tartan for 26 pleats but not 27, and, because it's pleated to the stripe, the kilt can have only 25 stripes, leaving a full sett or more left as extra that will be cut off.

-And, if the kilt was made from double width fabric and there's a join in the back, there'll also be extra fabric on both edges left over from putting the center back pleat in the right place in the tartan. That's cut off, too.

So, depending on the size of the sett and the style of pleating, the amount of tartan "lost" and hidden in facings might be as little as 18" or it might be as much as a yard.

Anyway, a kiltmaker doesn't gain anything by ordering 8 yards of tartan for you and then skimping on making the kilt. So, a kiltmaker does the best he/she can to put as much of the tartan into the kilt as possible.

[The Wizard of BC]

Quick, down and dirty.

if you put your Kilt on a postal scale
An 8 yard Kilt made from 16oz fabric will weigh between 3 1/2 and 4 lbs.
An 8 yard Kilt made from 13oz fabric will weigh between 1 3/4 lbs and 2 1/4.
An 8 yard Kilt made from 10oz fabric will weigh between 3/4 and 1 lb.

if you calculate the amount of fabric in your Kilt.
22oz fabric weighs 1.466oz per square foot.
16oz fabric weighs 1.066oz per square foot.
13oz fabric weighs .866oz per square foot.
10oz fabric weighs .666oz per square foot.

[puffer]

Thank you All. It REALLY helped

Puffer