Question about making an x-kilt.

[SDMF91]

I'm starting to make an x-kilt. Grandma just gave me an old industrial sewing machine she had lying around (i'm 17). Now, I have a small bit of extra gut (Not huge, like it discusses in the tutorial), and a very unusually small rump, to the point where my rump measurement is smaller than the measurement around my navel. If I change the measurements, to be around my pant line, and measure the fell from there, etc etc, change all the measurements to match, will it still work? Or do I need to do something totally different? I'm using black canvas if anyone wants to know.

[Pleater]

Ignoring the measurements for a moment, consider your shape.

The pleats need to follow what contours you do have, so that they fall straight down from whatever curve you do have, and above that the fell funnels down to your waist rather than folding in on itself. That would make the kilt larger than your actual measurement at the hip, because the pleats would cover more than half way around you to accommodate your shape rather than your size.

If you have a slight bay window in front you want to have the aprons fall from the widest point and hang straight down curving very slightly outwards. That might mean that there is a significant amount of fresh air between you and the kilt. That is not a bad thing.

I think that you are considering wearing the kilt at below your natural waistline. I'd advise against it until you see the effect. Particularly with a black fabric, making the kilt shorter vertically can make the proportions look odd.

The effect is not so great where a person is slender, but as a rule emphatic colours should be cut long and flowing or long and close fitting.

If you have a full length mirror, try out the effect of different heights, folding over the fabric to the length you intend to wear the kilt. Use a belt or cord to hold in the top edge.

When you start to make your kilt, consider using your actual waistline measurement and level as a starting point. If you decide that you want the level lower after you have it tacked or pinned together you can always trim off the top edge, before cutting and attaching the waistband. Or you can make the next one to fit lower.

I'd advise following the instructions fairly closely for the first one, so that you end up with something you can put on, criticise and know what to change, rather than have a whole lot of alterations to asses and wonder which one you need to change to get the effect you want.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[SDMF91]

Ignoring the measurements for a moment, consider your shape.

The pleats need to follow what contours you do have, so that they fall straight down from whatever curve you do have, and above that the fell funnels down to your waist rather than folding in on itself. That would make the kilt larger than your actual measurement at the hip, because the pleats would cover more than half way around you to accommodate your shape rather than your size.

If you have a slight bay window in front you want to have the aprons fall from the widest point and hang straight down curving very slightly outwards. That might mean that there is a significant amount of fresh air between you and the kilt. That is not a bad thing.

I think that you are considering wearing the kilt at below your natural waistline. I'd advise against it until you see the effect. Particularly with a black fabric, making the kilt shorter vertically can make the proportions look odd.

The effect is not so great where a person is slender, but as a rule emphatic colours should be cut long and flowing or long and close fitting.

If you have a full length mirror, try out the effect of different heights, folding over the fabric to the length you intend to wear the kilt. Use a belt or cord to hold in the top edge.

When you start to make your kilt, consider using your actual waistline measurement and level as a starting point. If you decide that you want the level lower after you have it tacked or pinned together you can always trim off the top edge, before cutting and attaching the waistband. Or you can make the next one to fit lower.

I'd advise following the instructions fairly closely for the first one, so that you end up with something you can put on, criticise and know what to change, rather than have a whole lot of alterations to asses and wonder which one you need to change to get the effect you want.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

So I just need to make my waist measurement bigger, and since it's already bigger than my behind, I'll just have some extra space, but be OK?

[sydnie7]

I'll second the recommendation to follow the manual the first time, then get creative once you understand the basic structure.

You may have a small rump, but does it stick out at all from your back? If you put a wooden yardstick vertically down your spine, would your rump cause it to deviate from straight up-and-down? That deviation, if any, is the taper you need to put into the pleats around the back of the kilt.

Then, as Anne has described, make the waist big enough to go around you at the navel.

One way to measure for this body style (as described by our own Wizard) is to stand facing a wall or doorjamb. Put your belly up against the wall -- your hips will be some ways away from the wall. Now have a helper measure around your hips, using the wall as the front measuring point. The Wizard has a much better description posted here somewere, but I hope you get the idea.

Continue to ask questions, there's a huge depth of XKilt experience here to help you through the bits that may seem tricky!

[Alan H]

You want to taper the box pleats at least a little bit. See Sydnie's description. I mean, there IS most likely a curvature out from the small of your back to the widest part of your rumpus. The taper is designed to accomodate that.

However, you'll have to make your apron, especially at the waistband, somewhat wider, to accomodate your tummy.

[SDMF91]

Ok, i think I'm getting this now....The apron does not taper.

otherwise it'd look like this



Now that I understand that, tiem to start it up

i think i'll make the apron about 10 inches? too much? too little?

I really like the narrow ones...
also, if anyone wants pics of my process, I'll post.

[sydnie7]

Love your depiction, that needs to be added to the XKilt thread! And yes, that's the idea.

As for apron width -- for a narrow look, shoot for about 30% of your waist measure. No less than 25%. Past about 33% you are getting out of the "narrow" range (traditional kilts have about 50% apron, by comparison).

And of course we want pictures!

[KiltedBrewer]

I like a narrow apron (a la Utilikilts.) Here's my latest x-kilt with a 7.5 inch apron and a 38 inch waist--that makes the apron just under 20% of my waist.



For my waist measurement that's about as narrow as I'd go, but I love this kilt and I wore it a ton before it started getting really cold here in the mountains. Let us know what you decide to do and be sure to post pics of your progress. We love pics here on XMTS!

David

[SDMF91]

Alright, i'll be going with a 13 inch apron, hat's 25% rounded up...glad I found this out now, as the tutorial says make a 12 inch strip to start. I'll be starting....well right now actually. I'll upload the first round of pic when i get tired tonight.

I like a narrow apron (a la Utilikilts.) Here's my latest x-kilt with a 7.5 inch apron and a 38 inch waist--that makes the apron just under 20% of my waist.



For my waist measurement that's about as narrow as I'd go, but I love this kilt and I wore it a ton before it started getting really cold here in the mountains. Let us know what you decide to do and be sure to post pics of your progress. We love pics here on XMTS!

David

This is the look I was going for, I spent a bit of time looking at your thread on that kilt yesterday.

[SDMF91]

Ok...I had to reduce my apron size to 11 inches for simplicity's sake. Math was gettin to messed up... So I'm going with an 11 inch apron, with 13 3 inch pleats, and i rounded my rump to 50 inches. Does this seem right? Or do I need to go with like...a 20 inch and 10 pleats? Remember we're talkin a 50 rump, a 51 waist, and i'm still hoping for a narrower apron. Also, here be pictures.



I got all my supplies together. Then grandma told me it was time to go get burritos. I happily obliged.

Anyways, then I made my apron strip.



I know it looks messy, but I made sure it was SUPER TOUGH.



I then worked on my hem.
Heh, I'm IRONING while wearing an IRON maiden shirt. heh.



My sister helped me sew it.




Then I started calculating the pleats. The maths were not fun.



Then I remembered that I needed to wake up for church in the morning, and went to bed.