Need Advice for Making Great Kilts for Two Differently Sized People??

**LadyOfTheCottage** · 27th March 25, 07:17 AM

My husband is 6'2 (when he stands up straight) and is a hefty man
I am 4'11. and will be a small size (should my diet hold up)
I want to make great kilts for my husband and I. How much fabric do I need? How wide and how long?

I've heard you can make great kilts different lengths for the same person.

Thanks a bunch!

**jhockin** · 27th March 25, 07:57 AM

You might be interested in this paper, and it might also give you some additional search terms to try on this website:
http://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/Joined_Plaids.pdf

**LadyOfTheCottage** · 27th March 25, 08:28 PM

Thank you

**Pleater** · 28th March 25, 06:02 PM

Having tried a great kilt, I feel I should warn you that they are not exactly practical in a modern home.
They sweep surfaces, snag on chairs and doorhandles, they swallow anything dropped onto them.
They do come in handy for picking apples, but so do plaids or any more normal things such as buckets and baskets.

Mine is now a dressing gown.

I am about 5ft 4 inches tall and found that the standard width tartan, 54inches, was right for my height. I suspect that you might need to cut off several inches of width for yourself, and add it onto your husband's - though of course more modern looms make fabric 60 inches wide.

I suggest making mock-ups in some less expensive fabric to see what amount of fabric would be suitable. Pleats do eat up large amounts of fabric - I have one kilt which is 8 yards along the selvedge.

Anne the Pleater

**LadyOfTheCottage** · 29th March 25, 10:56 AM

8 yards is quite long! I was intending on making the kilts for the highland games this summer. We go every summer and I've made kilts for all my sons (so far we have 5). I was hoping to make great kilts for the adults. Perhaps one for my oldest son who is 12 and now taller than I am.

**jhockin** · 29th March 25, 02:36 PM

I’ve not actually seen this pattern:

https://reconstructinghistory.com/pr...ish-great-kilt

**Pleater** · Yesterday, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by LadyOfTheCottage

8 yards is quite long! I was intending on making the kilts for the highland games this summer. We go every summer and I've made kilts for all my sons (so far we have 5). I was hoping to make great kilts for the adults. Perhaps one for my oldest son who is 12 and now taller than I am.

The 8 yards of darkness kilt is quite a beast - I believe that a great kilt would have been about half that, though you'd need to add more these days as people are stouter, in all senses of the word.

There is the option to sew in the pleats, or to add a cord to form the pleats without having to lay out the fabric every time.

Anne the Pleater

**Pleater** · Yesterday, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by jhockin

I’ve not actually seen this pattern:

https://reconstructinghistory.com/pr...ish-great-kilt

Wow - 5 to 7 yards for the kilt, at least 60 inches wide.

Having tried wearing a great kilt - though it was a fairly heavyweight fabric, I think I used under 5 yards of 54 inch width and it was too much indoors.

Anne the Pleater

**jhockin** · Yesterday, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Pleater

Wow - 5 to 7 yards for the kilt, at least 60 inches wide.

Having tried wearing a great kilt - though it was a fairly heavyweight fabric, I think I used under 5 yards of 54 inch width and it was too much indoors.

Anne the Pleater

I would imagine that the amount, weight and width would depend upon the size of the person, and the intended use. I would agree that a Belted Plaid/ Great kilt isn’t the best choice for use indoors, especially if there are breakables anywhere below head level