Kilt making?

[singforsam]

Is there a certain way to make a kilt? Do you just need the fabric and sew it like a skirt I guess? I'm not sure what it takes or what else is needed to make a kilt.

Sam
Fontana

[Bugbear]

Barbara Tewksbury's "The Art of Kiltmaking"

I'm sure the X-Kilt will come up too.

[JimB]

I would recommend that you spend some time in the DIY forum. There you will find lots of advice already posted.
Oh, and welcome!

[Phil Wright]

Really worth spending some time looking at some of the books like Barb's. It may look simple but there's a lot of measurements & adjustments that are well worth looking into if you really want a kilt to be proud of. Remember professionals take years to learn the craft..... Good Luck with your work.
Phil

[billmcc]

Here is more information about Barb T's book:
http://www.celticdragonpress.com/
Barb is a member of this forum.

[McFarkus]

Our own Alan H has instructions available for an XKilt see the thread below:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/x...ighlight=xkilt

[Pleater]

I started out by 'googling' making a kilt and looked through the first few pages of what that trawled up.

A kilt is basically a length of fabric pleated onto a waistband, but there are various ways to form the pleats, and the more tailored versions have the upper part of the pleats sewn down and shaped and sometimes the material is cut out from the inside of the pleats to reduce the bulk, and then a couple of layers of material are sewn in to reinforce and line the area, called the fell. Below the fell the pleats are straight, not flared.

Normally the selvage is used as the lower edge of the kilt, so the fabric is cut at right angles to the 'normal' line, but for fabrics with patterns which are wrong when cut that way - such as pinstripes, corduroy or some DPMs (camouflaged materials) the fabric is cut across and joined.

However - be warned - the kilt is just the beginning. There are jackets, hose, flashes, sporrans and belts to be considered too, and then you get into coordinating the colour of shirt and tie, thinking of the purchase of an Inverness coat, various headgear, then researching your family tree to see what tartans you can wear.

[The Wizard of BC]

I am going to have to disagree with some of the posts in this thread. I'm sorry.

A Kilt is the second only to a mans tailored suit jacket in complexity. It is NOT a piece of fabric with pleats sewn into a waistband.

Oh sure, you can make such a thing but it is this thinking that makes people believe that someday kilts will be mass produced and cost the same as a pair of jeans.

In a Traditional Style Kilt the pleats are arranged with great precision to best show off the Tartan. There are so many variables that this is a true art form.

Then the stitching is done in such a way to allow the fabric to hang, and move when walking, like no other garment in the world.

Yes, the fabric is cut away on the inside to thin the back and prevent "Pillow Butt", and yes there is a liner that covers that area, but thinking that the liner is there to keep the kilt clean or act as a sweat guard is false thinking. The liner is there to cover the re-enforcements built into the kilt to allow the fabric to float over the wearer without pulling, or puckering and allow the pleats to swish and flow without curling.

I have tried to find a simple way to explain this but basically you strap on the interfacing and re-enforcements and the outer fabric floats over those.

If you want to learn how to make a Traditional Kilt there is no better resource than "The Art of Kiltmaking". The cost of a book is nothing when compared to the cost of good quality kilt fabric and the pride of owning a truly well made kilt.

The difference in look, and swish, and feel of a Traditional kilt is evident from across the street when compared to "a length of fabric sewn into a waistband".

Does a well made Traditional Kilt have to cost $1000.00? No. The majority of that cost is in the fabric which can be $60.00 to $100.00 per meter. Any good quality fabric can be used to make a kilt.
It is the inner construction that is the secret.

I too, once thought that I could just sew some pleats into some fabric and call it a kilt. I was mistaken. I've been in this business for five years now and am still learning, still amazed at the complexity of this garment we call The Kilt.

[Bugbear]

The Wizard of BC , that's why I will gladly pay a kilt maker, who knows how to do these things, to make a kilt. I can almost deal with making my belted plaids, but I still need a little help, LOL! However, I am not weaving the cloth; I am not spinning the wool; I am not sheering the sheep or raising them; and so on and so on. My point is that we all are taking something that someone else has made and using it.

All my respect goes to you and the other kilt makers. When I was a young child, I wanted to be a clothing fashion designer, but I don't have the skill or talent in sewing and cutting cloth. If singforsam does find a talent in kiltmaking, I wish singforsam all the good luck in the world. I think it's got to start with Barb's book though.

[The Wizard of BC]

I guess the point I was trying to make is that we as kilt wearers sometimes get all wrapped around the axle about different Tartans, and different fabric weights, and different pleat styles. But it is actually the craftsmanship and artistry of Traditional Kiltmakers that we should be thinking about.

This is the heart of the Tartan Tat controversy. Sure, a length of bright plaid sewn into what looks like pleats and called a kilt will sell simply because we as kiltmakers have failed to get across to the public that there is more to it than that.

I welcome anyone who wishes to make their own kilt. I welcome and encourage anyone who chooses to make this their life's work. We need more kiltmakers, desperately.

On the other hand, we kiltmakers need to show the world that making a well fitting and swishing kilt is as complex as making a three piece suit.