My first Norsekilt

**Oddern** · 4th August 09, 02:32 PM

Some of you may remember my thread regarding which type of pleating I should choose for my 18oz Leslie tartan.
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/w...466/index.html
Thanks everyone for good advice.

I'm sorry for posting this so long after it realy happened but after finishing the kilt everything went so fast and I haven't had time to post before now.
So a few months ago, after reading trough Barb's book several times, I got to work on my first DIY Kilt.
The starting point was 4 yards dobble with fabric that I found on e-bay. I was a bit nervous if it was the right quality, but it was as far as I could tell. I decided to pleate the kilt to the red stripe. I measured time and again to be sure not to do enything wrong, and found that I would get 20 pleates with good depth.

After having measured up the front apron I started on the pleates. It was a very time-consuming and tiresome job. I made several mistakes, but non so large that I could not fix them relatively easily. The most difficult was to be very accurate with the centering of the stripes.

It was also difficult to sew together the two fabric pieces so that the joint was not visible.

It is not easy to obtain a proper canvas. No fabric shops in Norway have heard of Hair canvas. But after searching through many shops, I found a roll of quite rigid and durable fabric that should be usable for 18 oz tartan.

Then it was time for the straps. I struggled quite a bit with this. I had to adjust the straps and buckles several times before everything fitted. But now I think I know how to do it next time. Yes it will definetly be a next time.

So to finish the kilt I attached the waistband and stitched in the lining. This was fairly easy.

This is before I cut and sew the hole for the left strap.

This is the first time I've sewn anything. It took me about 40 working houers to make, but never more than 2 to 3 hours at the time. I am the first to admit that this kilt is far from perfect, but I'm pretty happy with the result.
It feels that it is a heavyweight with its 8 yards and 18 oz, but it is very konfortabel and has a great swish.

More to come......................

**Oddern** · 4th August 09, 02:35 PM

I will call all of my DIY kilts for "NorseKilts". Norse is an adjective relating things to ancient Scandinavia, that is Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland during the early Middle-Ages(the period of the Vikings).
So this one is NorseKilt no.1. I hope one day that I have kilts in all of the Norwegian tartans.

The NorseKilt no.1 for the front:

Then the pleates:

And last, a NorseKilt should of course be accompanied by a Norwegian Sporran, the Freelander.

Skål!