Experimenting with a demin kilt. Help keep me motivated!

[Pleater]

Ok - well unfolded in imagination before you, you have the backings strip. You lay the strips of denim onto the backing strip with a small hem already folded under and sew through both layers from the base of the fell to the lower edge.

Now visualise folding the backing material out of sight so bringing the strips of denim together at the top. Perhaps you might use half inch tape to sew through and join together the top of the kilt where it is shaped to narrow it into the waist. The same tape can be sewn horizontally along the top of the backing strip to cover the raw edges.

You now sew onto the edges of the pleats - from waist to lower edge pieces of backing material to form the under apron pleat and under apron on the right side and the under apron pleat on the left, then the denim apron.

If your backing material is not very heavy you could use it doubled, so the lower edge will not require finishing.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[JDaugherty]

Quick question. how/where would i measure to determine how long the pleats will be? I found a looong strip of light blue material that'll work perfectly. It's definitely more than long enough but i'm concerned it might not be er... 'tall" enough. Do I measure from the top of my rump or halfway down?

Rereading yoru post a few times, pleater, so it sinks in. I think I'm following your visualizationg well, but I'm gonna lay the material out in a bit and snap a picture to make sure i'm understanding. lol Btw, very helpful to explain it i na way to help visualize it. Thank you for that. (It's odd that I've always had a great imagination and loved reading; yet I have to *see* something to understand it...>.<)

[Stitchwiz]

Suggestions for working with denim:

If you have a problem with bulk in the denim, raid your tool box and bring out the hammer!
I have one with a regular head with a small handle which is perfect - you have better control with a shorter handle. My husband found it a tool shop (he can't remember which one, it was 22 years ago!) Try a big box reno store.
Whenever you need to stitch over multiple layers of denim, like a seam, pound the area to be stitched with your hammer - about 3 blows for each spot usually works for me. The hammer will flatten down and relax the fibres in the denim and make it much easier to sew.
Make sure you have a solid surface to pound on - DON'T do this on your Grandma's antique Duncan Phyfe table!
If you do this on your sewing machine, you will eventually pound the paint right off - don't recommend this either.
A small piece of patio stone, or a block of hard wood works well.
Remember, you aren't making flax, don't beat it to a pulp. Perhaps try it on some scraps to get the feel for it.

Make yourself a Hump Jumper:
Find a double-stitched seam - an inner leg seam is perfect. Cut a strip about 6" long and 1½" - 1¾' wide with the seam running down one side, Fold it so that the finished size will be about 4" X 1½". Half will be single thickness and half will be double thickness. Hammer the fold about 3 times in each spot. Stitch down the seam side, (be sure to back stitch), stitch across the short side, and up the other double side. Before you get to the fold, tuck in a cord of some sort at the corner (a spare boot lace would work), stitch it closed and backstitch to secure everything. If you like, you can serge the 2 cut edges to keep fraying to a minimum. I wouldn't suggest serging the seam side - a regular household serger won't be able to handle the bulk, you might bend the fingers in the serger. ($Ouch! been there, done that, won't do it again.)

Now you can hang your Hump Jumper close to your machine. I have several made for the different weights of denim. I keep all of the Hump Jumpers on a large key ring under the right front foot of my sewing machine. They are always right there and I can't accidentally discard one. If I don't need them, I can hang them by the ring out of the way and they stay together. The wide width beside the seam gives you enough fabric that you can maneuver the Hump Jumper easily - this is a cheap and easy gadget to make. If you find you need it wider or narrower, it's a simple thing to make another one.

Using your Hump Jumper:
When you have to go over a seam, reach for your handy, dandy Hump Jumper.
Just as your pressure foot starts to lift on the seam, stop with the needle in the fabric, lift the pressure foot, tuck the Hump Jumper in behind your foot with the original jean seam under the back of the foot, lower the foot down again and the foot will be level - if your pressure foot isn't level, try the other end of your Hump Jumper. Now you can stitch perfectly across the seam. Often you don't need it coming off the seam, but if you find you have skipped stitches after the seam, you need to stop with the needle down when the toe of your foot just tips down at the front, lift the foot and put your Hump Jumper, seam side, under the foot on the one side only and set the pressure foot down onto the denim with the needle right beside the Humper Jumper. I usually put it on the right side of the foot. This way you can stitch off the seam without running over your Hump Jumper. When the pressure foot is clear of the seam, lift the foot, remove the Hump Jumper, lower your foot and carry on.
As long as your pressure foot is level, your machine will stitch properly. When the pressure foot is tipped up or down, you will frequently have skipped stitches.

Hope this helps.
After putting all this down and editing it, you seem to have made amazing progress! Bravo!
Program the coffee-maker to brew another pot in a few hours and keep at it!
Keep your camera handy to record your progress so we can all learn from your experience. We're cheering you on!
Looking forward to seeing your denim kilt!

[JDaugherty]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I doubt i'll ever work with denim again after this XD Thankfully, I'm nearly done. It's not looking beautiful by far, and the "pleats" (i use this term loosely :/) look like a child did them..with one hand. At this point it's pretty safe to say that I'm making a mow-the-yard kilt hahaha but the plus side is, i've already talked mom into taking me on the hunt for 5 or6 yards of material next weekend--so i'll be able to do a proper xkilt! YAY

I'll try to remmeber to get some pictures in the morning; i'm pretty much spent for the night on sewing hah. All I have left is to attach the upper and under aprons, sew up the back/waistband and fashion some sort of closure for it. >.<

[ratspike]

Don't even sweat it if this didn't turn out to match the idea you had in your head. It was your first one. The first kilt I made was completely unwearable, and the second was only marginally less so. Big props for jumping in at the deep end too, with the different colors in the pleats. You learn something every time you sew up a project so keep charging ahead.

[Theyoungkiltman]

I am sure it doesn't look TOO bad, if you would like a tartan kilt Joann craft sells "black stewart" for 7.99/yd and often has sales on it. It is in the "flannel shirting" section. It is tagged as royal stewart although it is the black variant.

[rebelrouser]

Is misty a rat terrier ?

[JDaugherty]

Is misty a rat terrier ?

Thanks spike @young--i have no idea where the nearest joann's would be to me. I'm going to the farmers store later in the week though on the hunt for kilt material >

@Rebel, yeah she is lol We took her in about...5 or 6 months ago, her owners got a new dog and they couldn't handle all the dogs (new one made 3 -_-) so it was find her a new home or she goes to the pound. And as usual, if the word pound is brought up, we take teh dog immediately haha She's turned out to be great. Still a lil skittish, and chubby, but great. No idea why her previous owners chose the new dog over her. Was probably a puppy. People will do anything for a puppy. hah