apron not tapered

**Mark Keeney** · 20th March 07, 07:22 PM

I just had a kilt made and the front apron has no taper. it is straight from fell to bottom. Because it doesn't taper the apron curls out. What do I need to do to correct this? Or is it something a kiltmaker needs to do?

Mark

**The Wizard of BC** · 20th March 07, 08:31 PM

Please describe your kilt a little better. Maker, fabric, style etc.
We will need to know these so as to better advise you.

**Mark Keeney** · 22nd March 07, 06:52 AM

Local Kilt maker.
Heavyweight wool American Bicentenial I believe.
Traditional 8 yd kilt.

The rest of the kilt seems to be well made it just doesn't have a taper on the apron. It follows the stripe all the way down from the fell

Mark

**sjrapid** · 22nd March 07, 10:08 AM

The great Barb T describes this (trapezoidal shaping of the apron) as 'flare' in her book and (correctly) says that an apron with insufficient flare will open at the LH pleat. See AoKM pages 19, (pictures) and p26 (discussion) - Barb says that the flare should be a-shaped curves rather than a staight line trapezoid.

It depends on your sewing skills, but I'd guess correcting this is a job for a kiltmaker, as you're going to have to open up the LH pleat and re-shape, and re-make the fringe side of the apron to keep it symmetrical.

Best regards

**Barb T** · 22nd March 07, 04:52 PM

Not so sure I'm "great", but I'll toss in my two cents.

Whether an apron has flare actually depends on the person's measurements. If the waist and hips are the same size, or if the waist is bigger than the hips, then a kilt is made as a cylinder, with no flare anywhere. Should hang fine.

If the apron is narrower across at the waist than it is at the hips, it should have some flare below the bottom of the fell. Basically, the flare should continue the "widening out" that happens between the waist and the hips. If your apron flares between waist and hips but then continues straight below the bottom of the fell, then it's been made wrong. But, it's pretty easy to fix with an iron. First, press out the crease at the edge of the apron. Put the kilt on, determine where it "wants" to fold, baste, and press again. It may take several pressings to train your kilt to a new fold, and you may find that you have to press the edge again often.

It is possible, though, to make a kilt where the apron has no flare and all of the shaping is taken up in the pleats. Personally I wouldn't do this, but, if your kilt is made this way, it's going to look odd to press a flare into the apron below the bottom of the fell. But, if your kilt really "wants" to fold somewhere else, just press out the crease, put the kilt on, see where it wants to fold, baste, and press.

And, no matter what you do, some body shapes will always cause the first pleat to open up. If you have chubby or muscular thighs (or sometimes if you pull the lower kilt strap tight), there's precious little you can do about that little flip open on the first pleat.

B