Homemade kilt

[bubba]

Howdy folks. I'm new to kilts and don't have one just yet. While I'm waiting to get a decent one I decided to make a slightly nontraditional one out of blue denim. It's in the works so I might just have an odd kind of kilt in a few days, I hope. Oleating will certainly be an adventure.
Where I live in Wisconsin I have never seen anyone wearing a kilt so I guess I'll be breaking new ground. I'm glad there are a few message boards like this. It helps to know others experiences.
Mike

[Blu (Ontario)]

Hi, Mike....welcome to the forum. Hope the kilt project goes well for you. I must applaud you tackling a project like that. (I can barely iron a shirt let alone sew anything.) Once you start wearing a kilt in your area, you might just be surprised to find others coming out of the woodwork.!

Blu

[bubba]

Howdy Blu. I do have some sewing experience. I've made a few outfits for my wife since I took up sewing about a year ago. Now that I got through her list of projects it's my turn The denim is primarily for practice since I've never tried pleating before. Once I'm satisfied I know how I'll order out some good tartan and do a traditional 8 yard kilt. I thought about just buying one but where's the challenge in that
I live in a pretty small town near Appleton, Wisconsin so I'm sure a kilt will cause a bit of a stir. This is definately not a real sophisticated area but if I get them used to seeing me in a kilt it shouldn't be any problem although my wife thinks I'm a bit whacked. I mentioned it to one of my sons and he not only likes the idea, he wants to get one himself if he can con his wife into it. It'll be an interesting experiment .
Mike

[Canuck]

Howdy Blu. I do have some sewing experience. I've made a few outfits for my wife since I took up sewing about a year ago. Now that I got through her list of projects it's my turn The denim is primarily for practice since I've never tried pleating before. Once I'm satisfied I know how I'll order out some good tartan and do a traditional 8 yard kilt. I thought about just buying one but where's the challenge in that
I live in a pretty small town near Appleton, Wisconsin so I'm sure a kilt will cause a bit of a stir. This is definately not a real sophisticated area but if I get them used to seeing me in a kilt it shouldn't be any problem although my wife thinks I'm a bit whacked. I mentioned it to one of my sons and he not only likes the idea, he wants to get one himself if he can con his wife into it. It'll be an interesting experiment .
Mike

Folklore has a pattern for making kilts and attire, great package and fairly easy to follow. There is also an article in Threads magazine and you should be able to find that in the local library. Also on the internet there are instructions on how to build a traditional kilt. Once you start it's hard to stop.
Cheers
Robert

[bubba]

I did print out some things that I found on the net. It'll be hardest, I think, to calculate the pleats, how deep, how much lap, etc, in the given length of fabric. I sure want them to come out even and at the appropriate length. I'm working with yards. 20 inches for each apron and the rest should come out at 24 inches. At least that's the plan at this point.
Mike

[bubba]

Man, was I not mentally functioning. The thing is going to have 20 inches for each apron leaving me with 176 inches to figure the pleating for. Never try to type anything while the wife is vacuuming around your feet
Mike

[Canuck]

Man, was I not mentally functioning. The thing is going to have 20 inches for each apron leaving me with 176 inches to figure the pleating for. Never try to type anything while the wife is vacuuming around your feet
Mike

Divide 20"(if that's half your hip measurement) by the number of pleats you want, that will give you the face of each pleat, give each pleat inside about 4" add 2 double pleats at the hip one on each side(one of them is an inverted pleat). You will have plenty of material.
Subtract half the waist from half the hip divide by the number of pleats, will give you the taper of each pleat at the waist.
Try that.

[bubba]

The taper is easy. I'm built like a 50 gallon drum, waist at the navel and the hip are the same <G> Thanks for the info. That'll help alot.
Mike

[Canuck]

The taper is easy. I'm built like a 50 gallon drum, waist at the navel and the hip are the same <G> Thanks for the info. That'll help alot.
Mike

OK, now you want the bottom of the kilt to hang level all around. So I suggest you drop the waistband by 1.5" at the centre of both the under apron and overapron.