I think my pattern must go back beyond the medieval - though I worked it out for myself originally - it is fairly logical really. It also owes a lot to kimonos, even though I made the first one before I learned the construction of a kimono. It is very minimalist.
The fabric is some off the bolt of purple black lavender 'almost a tartan' wool mix fabric which I have make kilts from and there are photos somewhere on X marks. The piece is about 8 ft long and 62 or 63 inches wide, if you include the very non kilting and extremely orange selvages.
To reduce the 8 ft to my wingspan - that is about wrist to wrist measurement, I put in three large pleats each side of the centre, Kingussie fashion, so there is one central box pleat and then two more. It is pleated to the set. I sewed along the joining of the colour bands to make a permanent fold. The pleats are 4 inches deep. The pleated area is the top of the front and the back. I only sew the edge of the pleats to the underlying fabric where it is necessary to hold the pleats. The third pleat protrudes slightly beyond my shoulders, so I sewed it from the inside, away from the fold so there is an inch or so free standing over the top of the sleeve.
The box pleat is sewn down at the back, but when the centre line is cut vertically so as to separate the two halves of the front, then the fabric is opened out to form the top parts of the crossing over.
Two horisontal cuts are made, so the lower parts of the front are freed from the sleeves. The sleeves are sewn along the lower edge from wrist to under arm, the selvage is sewn to the cut edge.
It is folded left over right - being both a kimono and a kilt combined.
I presume to dictate to no man what he shall eat or drink or wherewithal he shall be clothed."
-- The Hon. Stuart Ruaidri Erskine, The Kilt & How to Wear It, 1901.
Originally Posted by Pleater
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