Homeade kilts for kids

[The Wizard of BC]

A kid kilt can be as simple or as complex as your skills allow.

Basically you will need to lay the fabric on a table and cut it lengthwise into the widths needed for each child. Remember to account for hems if there are raw edges to the planned bottoms after cutting.
You will then lay out and mark one flat section on each end for the overlapping aprons and enough fabric between the aprons to fold and press into some pleats.

The type of pleats you choose to fold into the fabric, and the hip circumference of each child, will determine how much fabric will be needed for each kilt.

You will need an iron to crease the pleats and apron edges. Depending on the composition of the fabric you may, or may not, need to edge stitch the pleat creases so the hold. (Any fabric with cotton will need edge stitching. Cotton will not hold a crease.)

You will also need to construct some type of waistbanding to cover the upper raw edge.

Depending on the age of the child you may, or may not, choose to sew down and taper a Fell area from the waist to hips for shaping.

Many toddler kilts are pleats sewn directly into the waistbanding without a Fell.

A basic, home sewing machine should be able to handle all your needs for a child's kilt. If your wife has ever made a skirt she should have enough basic knowledge to make a child's kilt. It is just basically a wrap around skirt. It is the pleats in the back and flat aprons in the front which will signal 'kilt' to most people.

I would not worry about stabilizer or interfacing in a child's kilt. They will outgrow the garment quickly and is not usually needed for shape or swish in a basic child's garment.