Oh, that one. It IS a kilt, technically speaking, but an ill-fitting one.

I discovered the problem with the increasingly sideways-hanging pleats: sloppiness. I thought I could be slick and time-saving, so didn't pin the pleats before sewing them. As I was sewing the pleats from fell-to-waist the top of the pleats wandered "outward" in a curve.

Lesson learned: pin the pleats as they are marked. Better than that, I'm basting them down before I sew them. Much more secure than pinning, and helps ensure better accuracy.

My newest creation is a kinguisse (sp?) corduroy kilt. I like corduroy for it's built-in alignment guides! I like the symmetry of the kinguisse style. I'm basting then sewing two pleats at a time, and it's going much better. (Still not perfect; that just takes more practice.) I'll post pictures of this one when it's done.

Here's another question: do you sew down the pleats on the inside of the kilt? (Sewing only to the next pleat, not through to the outside, I realize.) I have on this one, but now I think that wasn't the best thing to do. There are so many layers of thick fabric that the inside of the kilt is quite a bit shorter than the outside, and now that the length of the inside of the kilt is fixed there's some odd bunching when I wrap it.

I may rip all those seams because the top of the pleats will be held by the waist band, but I wonder about the massive flaps of pleats and how they'll lay at the fell. How does one control all that fabric? (Lining?)

Soon - I'll post pics of my creations. I've got one denim kilt done, the corduroy almost done, and I modified a thrift store jacket last week. It came out a little short, but otherwise it's VERY cool. And I learned so much on that one that the next (in the closet now) will go much better.

boB