Kilt making problems.

[Dixiecat]

As a garment sewer, I had a slight advantage going into making a kilt. I know how to hand sew, measure (twice ) and most importantly, how to curse when I have to un-sew 15 pleats when I make a mistake!

My first kilt was also a Dress Black Erskine, to mark pleats I didn't use chalk. I used those teeny tiny brass safety pins. You can get the pin exactly on the thread you need. I found chalk left too wide of a line. I too made a pattern for the apron, but I used my drafting paper (a roll of exam table paper), placed the pattern on the tartan, traced it off, then traced it again with thread. I also have a dressmakers curve which made making the curve from waist to hip easier. And since I have 13" difference between waist to hip, that curve was rather sharp.

When sewing pleats, I use betweens. These are generally quilting needles. While I can't claim to have seen Barb sew, I know you'd be in awe of a real quilter when they get going. A shorter needle helps when you want to sew faster. Unfortunately, the thicker the fabric, the longer and thicker the needle has to be. I've been working with 10oz - 12oz tartan which is generally used for dance kilts and I can get away with the shorter needle.

Lighting and experience is the key for seeing while sewing. My Ott is great, but can't beat sitting at a window in full sun. The experience helps in knowing where I'm sewing when using black on black. The more you sew, the better you'll get at 'seeing'.