Corduroy X-Kilt

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

Yes, Jadewink, that table is pretty cool isn't it! Lots of room for projects, although I do dream about a 7 foot long, perfectly smooth table dedicated just to sewing. When we win the lottery and buy a bigger house, I'll have a sewing room-and I won't let the cat in

Last night, after my martini and omelet, despite my vow not to, I got a bee in my bonnet to do more on the kilt. So, I drove the sewing machine under the influence! Luckily, no harm came of it, either directly or indirectly.

Because the bottom of the fabric does not have a selvedged edge when joined like I have done (and even if it did, it didn't look like it would make an attractive hem), I decided to hem the length.

So, I marked 1.5 inches (remember, my "victim" has a drop of 22.5 inches and I have a 24 inch wide strip of fabric now)



Then I started to iron the hem in



But realized I had not yet "locked in" the edge to keep it from fraying. My tired old machine does not have an overlock stitch, so I had to run zig zags back and forth and a line of straight stitching down the middle of these. Instead of turning the fabric around when I got to the end of the zig zag and wanted to go back the other way, I flipped it over (so I didn't have to deal with all the material under the arm of the machine.





Next, I finished ironing the edge up and pinned it, checking to be sure it is indeed at 22.5 inches.



Next step...the over apron strip with velcro and the actual sewing of the hem.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

So, now the over apron strip-I read the instructions, and then realized I'm not sure what this is for? Can't the velcro just go on the waistband? So, I tried to read ahead and get a better idea, but, remember the martini? I gave up and just decided to follow the instructions, trusting in Alan H to see me through. I cut out a 3 inch wide strip of material, 10 inches long (I am planning a 10 inch over apron).



I locked down the edge (the same way as I did the hem, but this took much less time, being 10 inches rather than 135 inches)



Then, cutting out a piece of velcro (6 inches long-i.e. 4 inches shorter than the over apron)



I sewed it on as per instructions, except that the instructions said to sew the 2 inch wide strip of velcro 1.25 inches down on the 3 inch strip of fabric. Seeing as how 1.25 inches and 2 inches makes 3.25 inches and I only had 3 inches width of fabric, I decided that Alan H was also probably drinking and sewing. I did the best I could.



I really sewed it on tight, with two lines of zig zag stitch on either end. If this is messed up, there is no way I am going to be able to rip this seam out-I'll just have to start again if that is necessary.



At this point, Panache was begining to wonder if I was just going to sew all night. I said I would watch the last episode of Shogun with him. About 2 hours-just enough time to sew the hem....

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

Now, this is a modern kilt and the hem could very well have been machine sewn, but I, as many know, am an anal-retentive, obsessive-compulsive, perfectionist. I did not want this hem to show. So, just as I did with Panache's Stillwater, I blind stitched the hem. This time did not require as much alcohol to cut the boredom, because I was watching Shogun, and because 135 inches is substantially less that the ~250 inches of the Stillwater. I got comfie in my chair, and sewed it up (I finished in about 1.5 hours).



Then, it was about midnight and when I suggested that I upload the photos and post my progress, Panache said...

[Panache]

...Then, it was about midnight and when I suggested that I upload the photos and post my progress, Panache said...

"It's time for all good little Flame-Haired Celtic Amazon Goddesses to be in bed!"
So she reluctantly set her project away for the night.

Cheers

Panache

[Kid Cossack]

Panache:

I don't think I've ever said this before. "Your wife is cooler than Emma Peel."

Best,

KC

[cloves]

Seeing as how 1.25 inches and 2 inches makes 3.25 inches and I only had 3 inches width of fabric, I decided that Alan H was also probably drinking and sewing. I did the best I could.

Am I the only one who finds that hilariously funny!???


Also, yeah I agree she is cooler than Emma Peel. Panache ain't too shabby himself. They definately make a very ineresting and handsome couple.
I hope to get a chance to meet them in person someday.

[beloitpiper]

You make this look so easy!....and alcoholic! I want to try to make an xkilt now!

[Alan H]

The strip that you sew the velcro to is so that the stitching doesn't show on the over-apron. You COULD stitch it to the over-apron and forget the strip, but then you'd have this rectangle of machine-stitching on the over-apron. I decided that was yuck, thus the strip. If someone didn't want to use velcro, say they preferred the look of snaps, then hang the strip and just put the snaps in on the over-apron and be done with it.

Also, in a traditional kilt, the over-apron up near the waistband is backed with hair canvas. There's a layer of hair canvas between the wool and the lining material. You won't see that in Stillwaters, BTW, but perhaps you remember it from way2fractious's kilts? I can show you on one of mine at the next beer and kilts night. Well, finding hair canvas is a pain in the rump. I had to order mine from online at Baer Fabrics (thanks for the link, Barb T!) , Joanne's Fabric doesn't carry it. We could have used iron-on interfacing since it's unlikely that folks will make an X-Kilt out of wool, but I thought...let's just kill two birds with one stone. We'll make a strip, sew the velcro to that, and use the now stiffened strip to back up the upper part of the over-apron.

Just to show, someone turned right around and made a fantastic-looking X-Kilt out of tweed! No iron-on interfacing, there!

Since I happen to know who your victim is, I'm going to suggest that you drop the width of the over-apron to 8 inches. That is, unless those persons hips are a LOT bigger than I think they are. Oh, and be sure to A-shape the over-apron, like I write in the instructions. You two should talk/PM. Think about it! 8 inches, however, doesn't provide a lot of overlap, so make sure that the under-apron wraps around your victim just as far as you had originally planned. It's my gut feeling that the X-Kilts I made for Captain Jak and Dan the Brewer would have benefitted from narrower over-aprons, and in fact when Dan the Brewer finishes his weight-loss program, I'm going to change his kilt by making the over-apron narrower. I wasn't trying for the "traditional" look here, more for something like a Utilikilt look and I think the UK's have a six-inch overlap. Piper George's X-Kilt has a proportionally narrower (10-inch, if I remember rightly, but PG is a big guy) over-apron, and it looks "right" to me.

BTW, when you make Panache's X-Kilt, you might sew up the pleats first, then pin it on the man with no A-Shaping to the apron and scratch your noggin whilst gazing lovingly at him, focusing on his nether regions... Then rip it off of him, have your way with him, then re-fold and re-pin with no A-shaping. Stick the non-A-shaped-apron kilt back on him and decide which looks the most groovy...A-Shaping or no A-shaping. Note the Utilikilts are REVERSE A-shaped, their over-aprons are actually smaller at the bottom than they are at the top. That might be a novel look. What's to lose, *FEH*! Try it.

KCW tore out one of his pleats on his X-Kilt to make his over apron WIDER, more like a traditional kilts width. That's cool, it's just a different look. The whole point of the X-Kilt is for every person to mess with it and make a basic kilt with a modern appearrance and box pleats, to suit their personal fancy....Oh, and ot have fun in the process!

BTW, I WILL admit that I sewed much of Piper George's Dutch MacKay kilt while "under the influence" of Aberlour ten-year !

[Tartan Hiker]

Then rip it off of him, have your way with him, then re-fold and re-pin with no A-shaping.

Dagnabit, Alan! I'll never be able to sew another kilt apron without this image in my mind.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

... "Your wife is cooler than Emma Peel."...

...yeah I agree she is cooler than Emma Peel...

Aw shucks guys, you're gonna swell my head!

... Then rip it off of him, have your way with him, then re-fold and re-pin with no A-shaping...

BTW, I WILL admit that I sewed much of Piper George's Dutch MacKay kilt while "under the influence" of Aberlour ten-year !

Alan, you're evil!

I've only been able to do a little bit today-laid it out and measured. For reference (and I did ask my subject if posting these measurements was ok first): Waist 44", Rump 47.5" (I am using 48"-it's just easier), Fell 6.5", Drop 22.5". Very close to Alan H's measurements actually

Remember, I said corduroy presented some unique challenges? Well it also has one wonderful quality: the lines are already there, so you don't have to worry about chalking a straight line when marking out the pleats. Just mark on the edge and then follow one of the wales/cords/whatever down to the other edge



Here's everything marked-12 pleats (3"), 10" over-apron, fell line (I just marked on the pleat lines-figured this was all I needed to do). Note that my floor is not large enough to lay it all out at once. Also, you may be able to see on the right, that one of the joins is visible, right on top of a pleat. Sigh. Oh well, I was warned, and at least it's barely visible. Also, note the marks for the A-shaping of the front apron.



I'm probably not going to be able to do more today. Hopefully, the chalk won't rub off too much when I roll up the fabric.

Be well,