* Chapter 1 The Kilt
* Chapter 2 The Measures
* Chapter 3 Making the Kilt
* Chapter 4 Finish
Five points to ponder before we start :
1. A Kilt is basically a wrap-over skirt; fastening on the right with a strap
and buckle.
Learn this simple fact by heart and FORGET here and now any of the many myths
you have heard about kilts -- they are all wrong or at least only partly right.
It is nothing but a skirt, albeit a beautiful, pleated, frilled and be-buckled
skirt you are going to create, but still a skirt, and a skirt is the simplest
garment you can make - no armholes, collars, pockets or zips to plague you. So
here are the answers to your basic questions:
Is it easy? Yes
Can I make one? Yes
If you have the basic sewing skills (and this is assumed), with the aid of this
booklet you need have no fears.
Check our other website link
2. Just as there are more ways of killing a cat than by giving too much cream,
there are many variations in the ways of making a Kilt. I am going to show you
the simplest way I know, based on thirty years' experience of Kilt making and
teaching tailoring apprentices. The instructions are basic e.g. "bind the top
edge with a piece of tartan", you can carry them out by hand or machine any way
you find best. Always use your common sense. If something looks wrong it
probably is - go away and do something else for a while and then come back to
it.
3. How long will it take? Answer:- Until it is finished. Not very helpful, but
then people work at different speeds. Allow yourself 20 hours and see how you
go. I warn you now that the finish takes longer than on most garments. There are
so many bits and bobs to make and sew on.
4. How much material will I need? Originally tartan was homespun and 28" wide
and the average length was 7 yards (6.40 metres). Today most tartans are double
width, i.e. 54"/56" (1.40 metres) wide and you need 3.2 yards (3.20 metres) and
join it, ( join it you say in horror!) yes join it. Joining is undetectable in
the pleats and easy - I told you to forget the myths. From now on we will work
in metric sizes only
So what is average? The average man will measure 1.07m Hip 86 cms Waist, with
1.01m and 81 cms just below average, and 1.12m and 91 cms just above. 90% of men
fit into this category, so for them buy 6.40 metres single width, or 3.2 metres
double width (for exact measure see page 8 ). Above 1.2 m Hip buy an extra 50
cms for every 8 cm Hip size and below 1 m Hip size correspondingly less.
5. Double width tartan, like all cloth, comes wrong side out and you work on the
right side when making a Kilt; but it doesn't make a lot of odds, both sides are
identical in most cases.
Any other questions?. Yes, what else do I need and where do I get it? Before I
answer let us take a closer look at this wrap-over skirt with a pleated back we
call a KILT.
CHAPTER 1 - THE KILT
If you can borrow a Kilt from a friend so much the better. In fact I would
advise you to pull out all the stops to try and borrow a Kilt, if only for a few
hours. If not, take a close look at kilts being worn in your club or at dances.
You will be able to make a Kilt by reference to the diagrams alone - but seeing
an actual Kilt will speed up the process of knowing how it is constructed. If
you do get hold of a Kilt to inspect remember that some of the details may be
different from those I describe in the text. You will have to use your judgement
as to which, if any, are errors -- usually it will not matter but if in doubt
stick to my instructions.
Diagram 1
Refer to Diagram 1 on the left. The Kilt consists of three principal parts - (
1) the apron or front-apron to give it the full name, (2) 25-30 pleats or
"lines", swinging free from the brow of the seat down, and forming the back of
the Kilt, (3) the underapron. These three parts are obvious, what is not so
obvious, but equally important, are the first pleat, which joins the front-apron
to the pleats and the reverse pleat which joins the pleats to the under-apron.
The front-apron has a fringe on the wearer's right side (left hand side of the
Diagram as you view it) and two straps, one in the waist about 4 cms down from
the top edge, and one at the hip about 18 cms below the waist strap. These
fasten to two buckles placed on the penultimate pleat.
The under-apron (which is the same size as the apron) has one strap only in the
waist. This passes through a hole cut in the second pleat and fastens on a
buckle. To avoid the bottom corner of the under- apron showing below the
front-apron, the last 15 cms or so are turned up.
The pleats are sewn from the seat line up and are arranged to maintain the plaid
pattern. They are all pressed from the seat line down with the pattern of the
plaid, EXCEPT for the first pleat and the reverse pleat.
Diagram 2
The top edge of the Kilt is bound. The front-apron, pleats and under-apron are
stiffened and lined. Two loops are sewn on the back to accomodate the belt and
the sporran chain. A pin (not shown) fastens the front-apron to the under-apron
at the bottom corner.
To put it on, the wearer firstly fastens the under-apron strap and buckle on his
left hand side and then folds the front-apron across his front and buckles the
front strap.
And that is it.
CHAPTER 2 - THE MEASURES AND A WORD ABOUT TARTANS
You need three measures to make a Kilt, the waist, the hip and the length.
Measure the waist and the hip just fair on the wearer. On the Kilt these
measures will apply from the fringe to the reverse pleat. The difference between
these two measures is called the WAIST SUPPRESION and is the amount that the
waist of the Kilt has to be suppressed to get a nice fit. These two are fairly
straight-forward and not critical, as adjustment is easily effected in making
the Kilt.
What is not so easy, and very critical, is the length. In my opinion a Kilt
should fit from just sufficiently above the waist to allow a belt to be worn, to
the centre of the knee. Now I know that not all kilts do this, nor is it always
desirable. For example, a military Kilt often comes very high above the waist -
as high as a Spaniard's trousers - and some kilts are designed to fit into the
waist (or rather on the hips) without a belt. I am unrepentant. I am going to
describe a Kilt made to mv specification of length, if you wish to vary it then
it is up to you, but the length is critical and for this reason. The tartan has
to be torn across at exactlv the right length.
There are three ways I suggest to measure the length required. They should all
give about the same resultant measure, if they vary by more than 4 cms then
something is wrong - so try again.
1. First method :- Borrow a Kilt, put it on your man and measure how much longer
or shorter it need be to fit him properly. This method has everything to commend
it and is very accurate.
2. Second method :- (i) Get a 2-" (6 cm) band of any scrap cloth and make the
wearer fix it closely onto his waist. (ii) Make him expose his knee (either make
him roll up his trouser leg or do the whole exercise in shorts or bathing
costume etc.(iii) Measure vertically from 4 " (2 cm) ABOVE the waist band to the
centre of the knee bone.
3. Third method :- Use the table of lengths given below:-
Height (emperial) 5'4" 5'6" 5'8" 5'10" 6' 6'2"
Height (metric) 1.63 1.68 1.73 1.78 1.83 1.88
Kilt length (cm) 54 56 58 60 62 64
As I have said, all three methods should be within 4 cms of each other. If they
are not and you have any doubts USE THE TABLE rather than your measure Just a
word of comfort, the length of a finished Kilt can be altered if necessary - see
Chapter 4.
Now that you have got the three measures we are nearly ready to start, but
before we do, just two more points to clear up. Tartans - Most tartans are about
15 cms between repeat of the pattern and al1 of these show approximately three
patterns on the apron i.e. the apron is approximately 3xl5 cm = 45 cm giving one
full pattern in the dead centre of the apron and approximately one full pattern
to either side of it, and have between 7 and 9 pleats per pattern on the pleated
(rear) part of the Kilt. It is this type of tartan I shall describe in the
making procedures. You can, however, obtain "tartans" with check patterns
varying from 8 cms to 24 cms and with these you will have to use your common
sense when applying the making instructions. Buying a tartan - If you require a
special tartan then you may have a long hunt and pay a fancy price at the
finish. There is a lot of cult and mystery attached to the luxury end of the
trade. On the other hand, most drapers have a few tartans on sale as they are an
"evergreen" for ordinary suits and evening skirts etc., and the prices are very
reasonable. If all you need is a Kilt for dancing you cannot do better than find
one you like - make sure the pattern is a 15 cm one and the weight of the cloth
is suit weight, (i.e. between 10 and 15 ounces) buy your length and make it up.
What else do I need and where do I get it?
1. Coat canvas or tailor's canvas. You will need about 1/2 square metre of this
to stiffen the top of the Kilt. Most good dress materials shops stock it, but if
you have difficulty, anything firm and thin will do - even old denim jeans - cut
out the good bits.
2. Buckles. You will need three, and at a pinch three odd ones will do. They can
vary from 2 cm to 4 cm with the wider ones being best. These might be a job to
track down. Try handiman shops, leather shops, granny's buttonbox and if really
desperate, old shoe buckles will do - look round the jumble and car boot sales.
3. Leather. Either matching, or black, and enough for three straps l5 cm long.
Here again you will have to hunt around. The jumble sale might yield old leather
goods which can be cut up and used. Your shoemaker might sell you an "off-cut"
for a few pence.
4. Lining. About 1/2 square metre. Don't buy cheap taffeta, it will be worn out
in no time. A piece of cotton drab (used for making jacket pockets) is best. See
what the material shops can offer, any colour will do.
5. Needle and Thread. Buy a packet of "betweens" needles - you will find them
better than the "sharps" most dressmakers use, and use a strong thread of the
nearest colour to the main colour of the check. If in doubt grey or black will
go with most tartans.
6. A piece of tailor's chalk.
Anything else before we start? Yes, just two things under the ominous title of:
Mathematics for Kiltmakers (in metric only)
Exactly how much material do I need and how can I work it out?. Yes, like this.
First you have to decide how close you are going to make the pleats. The best
kilts have 8 to the pattern: 15 = just under 2 cms apart. You can get away with
7 pleats, just over 2 cms apart, or even 6 giving pleats 2.2 cms apart. So now I
have confused you and you don't know how many to make in vour masterpiece. Well
a Kilt is a heavy garment to wear and my personal preference is to cut down on
weight, I therefore make my own kilts 6 pleats to the plaid. However 7 is a good
compromise so if in doubt stick to 7.
Let us then assume you have decided on 7 pleats to the plaid, i.e. the pleats
will be just over 2 cms apart, and let us apply it to a hip measure of 1.08. The
front apron will be five twelfths: 5/12 of 1.08 to the nearest cm. Five twelfths
of 1.08 = 45 cms, plus turning and wastage - say 60cm. The pleated part will be
108 cms-45 cms = 63 cms.
Now every pleat uses up a plaid of 15 cms and our plaids are going to be 2.14
cms apart. The material required is sixty three / two point one four: 63/2.14 to
give the number of pleats then multiply by 15 for the amount of material. We
also have to add one more pleat of 15 cm for the reverse pleat. This is a bit of
a headache, so the following is an approximation I have found useful - ([(60 /
2) x 15] +15) = ([30x15]+15) cms = 4.65 m. [For the mathematicians among you,
this gives an answer approximately O.9 cm greater than the exact value]. Add on
another 60 cm for the under-apron and 60 cm for the front- apron gives us 60 cm
+ 4.65 m + 60 cm = 5.85 m. Add on about - metre for wastage etc. gives you 6.40
m single or 3.20 m double width.
All this is academic really and not at all important, but it will stop you
worrying that you won't have enough material when you start eating into it
making the pleats. However, a note in passing. If you have 8 pleats to the
plaid, or make the apron smaller than I have calculated for you, you will need
MORE MATERIAL. Conversely, if you make the apron a little wider (and this is the
modern commercial trend) and if you have a small man, i.e. 96 cms seat or under,
you can easily save a metre single width.
Now we come to :
Waist Suppression. As previously explained, waist suppression means making that
part of the Kilt which is going to fit the waist of the wearer smaller than the
hip fitting.The total amount of waist suppresion is the difference between the
waist and hip measures.
So taking our average man of 1.08 m hip and 86 cms waist, his waist suppression
is 108 cms - 86 cms = 22 cm. The front apron will be suppressed by about 8 cms,
i.e. all told 4 cms each side, leaving 14 cms to be suppressed in the pleats.
Now if all the pleats were suppressed equally they would need suppressing by
fourteen/twenty eighths :14/28 = 1/2 cm each aproximately. In practice this is
too finicky to measure so it is usual to suppress the first and last three and
four pleats quite well (they are the ones fitting over the hip) then the others
just a little; or, as I do, every other one or every third one about O.5 cms. It
all depends on the total amount to be suppressed, and many a man has a bit of a
tum. A 96 cms or even a 1.02 m waist and 1.08 m seat is not uncommon, so you
have to use your head and you can always check with the tape measure every 10th
pleat or so, so that the proportion is about right.
It must be remembered that the waist of the Kilt is 5 cms below the the top edge
of the Kilt so as well as suppressing the waist from the hip you will have to
remember to "spring out" a bit just above the waist.
So now we are all ready to go.
CHAPTER 3 - MAKING THE KILT
The first thing to do is to tear the tartan at the correct length of the Kilt.
To determine the length required refer to page 6.
Measure this length carefully fom the bottom edge (selvedge) at one end of your
piece of tartan. Mark it. Check it. Snip in straight with the pattern for 4-5
cms. Check the length again. Tear it off right the way down for the full length
of the tartan. If it is double width cloth repeat with the other side.
Diagram 3
Now mark up and make the front apron. To do this lay the cloth down, right side
up, bottom edge nearest to you and with the bulk of cloth to your right-hand
side and refer to Diagram 3.
The waist line is 5 cms down from the top torn edge of the tartan. This is the
line on which the belt will fit on the finished Kilt.
The hip line is 23 cms down from the top torn edge. This is the line on which
you are going to apply the hip measure of the wearer.
The front apron is going to be at least five twelfths: 5/12 of the hip
measurement wide. That is 46 cms wide for a person with a 1.08 m hip size. Apply
this measure of about 46 cms at the hip line and arrange it so that the centre
of the apron is coincidental with the centre of the main plaid. In practice you
will have to come in to the first full plaid that will allow a full plaid in the
centre of the apron and about a plaid and a half to the left as you view it.
(Diagram 3 makes this clear). The frontpiece clearly shows one central plaid
with not quite a full plaid either side at the hip line, but a full plaid
showing at the bottom edge illustrating the "springing out"
Mark out your front apron. Diagram 3 shows a front apron of over three full
plaids (about 53 cms) wide at the hip. This is for clarity. The average will
give you just on or just under three full plaids. Err on the wide side.
Diagram 4: Front apron marked and cut
Mark in with chalk the first pleat STRAIGHT WITH THE CHECK PATTERN. Mark it with
a mark thread (Diagrams 3 & 4).
Mark the right-hand side of the apron (left hand side as you are viewing it).
This edge is not straight with the pattern but sprung out 2-3 cms at the bottom
edge. Mark the top 25 cms with a mark thread. This is the line marked "FOLD" on
Diagram 3. Cut off at least 5 cms and no more than 12 cms clear of this line.
Diagram 6: Waist suppression of aprons by seaming away on wrong side of the
garment
Suppress the waist 4 cms approximately each side by seaming away on the wrong
side. Fold on the mark threads and use your eye to suppress from nothing at the
hip line to maximum at the waist and then spring out a little above the waist.
(Diagram 6).
Now make up the right-hand side of the apron. Just tack or press it on the fold
line, turn in the raw edge and hem up.
If the piece of tartan you cut off was more than 7 cms wide you can make the
fringe now. If not leave it until the end when you will have a piece to spare.
Tear a piece 7 cms wide and fold it 1 cm off centre, pull out the longways
thread of both edges for about a centimetre. Place it behind the right-hand side
of the apron and sew into place.
We are now ready to make the first pleat . Again mark or make a note of the
pattern 5 cms down which gives the waist line, and 24 cms down which gives the
hip line,which is also the sew line, because all the pleats will be sewn in from
this line up and hang free from this line down. Fold the Kilt in two on the
right side at the first pleat marker and tack it down 1 cm from the edge,
including the top suppressed 20 cms. We are now going to sew in the first pleat
from the hip line to the top of the Kilt.
Now concern yourself with the sew line on the first pleat and that point only.
Have your needle and thread ready. Bring this point (that is, the sew line on
the first pleat) to the identical point in the check pattern of the next check
along. Sew them together.
Start to sew the first pleat up to the top keeping straight both ways with the
check pattern. As you sew you must force the curved edge of the first pleat
straight onto the check pattern all the way. Don't worry about waist suppression
of the second pleat, just get that first pleat sewn down good and tight and
straight with the vertical check pattern.
One check pattern marked into seven equal pleats (McQueen tartan)
Sew in the pleats. As explained earlier the pleats are about 2 cms apart, and no
more than 2.6 cms apart. In practice we are not going to measure each pleat, but
do it by "eye". To make using your eye easier we will first of all make
ourselves a "marker". To do this cut off about 25 cms from your piece of tartan
(the long strip you tore off the top) and mark on that 7 lines on one check
pattern to give pleats of between l.8 cms and 2.2 cms apart. The little picture
will make this clear.
Do this by trial and error, which is by far the quickest way, and remember that
we are not using a micrometer for this next part of the Kilt. A tolerance of 10%
or 0.5 cm is quite acceptable. In fact from now on we are not going to measure
at all, but use our eyes and common sense.
The second pleat will be your chosen distance away from the first pleat. Look at
your marker and then fold your second pleat over at the hip line to the
identical position of the pattern of the next check. Sew the second from the hip
line up. Don't forget that you must suppress the waist a little and spring out
from the waist on this pleat. Don't overdo it.
To help with the pressing off, tack the pleat right through the whole caboodle
to hold it down from hem to sew line. Do not overdo this tacking, it is simply
to hold the pleat in place until it is ready to be pressed. Continue to put in
the pleats to the measure required. Don't forget your waist suppression. In
addition, you could give this pleat a hard press from hem to sew line before you
tack it down. Preferably press it on the underside of the pleat -- i.e. on the
RIGHT side of the tartan cloth, but on the WRONG side (i.e. "hidden") side of
the pleat.
Conversly, once you get into your stride with ascertaining by eye where the next
pleat will be formed from the un-used tartan you may find it easier to press the
pleats in from hem to sew-line BEFORE you sew them down from sew-line to top.
You could indeed, press two or three or even more pleats at one use-of-the-iron.
If you adopt this method, i.e. "underpressing" as we tailors call it, there
would be no need to tack down every pleat, every sixth or so will suffice.
Indeed this "press as you go" method is just general good tailoring practice.
Good underpressing is often esssential to making a good clean garment. It is
very necessary for jacket and trouser making, but not quite so important for a
Kilt. Myself, I get into a rythm of "press six pleats; sew six pleats; tack the
sixth pleat down;" underpress the six pleats (i.e. press the whole lot flat on
the wrong side of the Kilt) check the waist and hip measures for correct waist
suppression ratio.
Joining. If you have bought double width tartan you will have to join it
together round about the 14th pleat. Keep sewing in the pleats until you have
insufficient left over to make a complete pleat, then bring your next pleat onto
the correct place on the second piece of tartan and sew up in the usual way.
Turn the Kilt over, cut the two pieces to the same under-width as the other
pleats. Sew them together on the flat and overedge the raw edges. (This is
exactly the same treatment as for an inverted pleat in a skirt when a separate
piece of cloth is used for the underpart of the pleat).
When you are nearly to the hip measurement - that is from the fringe right
across the apron and up to the last pleat you have put in - have a "try on". Sew
on some tapes at the waist and hip and ignore the rest of the cloth - just pass
it under and let it hang. The tendency for the amateur is to get a Kilt too big,
so try it on two or three pleats before you think you should and get it on him
nice and close for the fitting.
Make a note of any corrections for width and finish off the remaining pleats.
Make the reverse pleat. This pleat is as deep as the proper pleats, but round
the other way so that it touches the last pleat (See diagram 1). At the same
time it forms the right-hand edge of the under apron and has to be suppressed at
the waist in the same way.
Mark the pleat one plaid away (or about 16 cms) from the last pleat. Sew away
the waist suppression as for the apron and then sew it down from the waist to
hip line, forcing it to "kiss" the last pleat.
Make the under apron. This is made the same size as the apron, but you ignore
the check pattern in this case as it doesn't show anyway. Also, as it is only
going to be held at the waist there is no need to shape the final edge from hip
to waist. Just drop a line straight down from the waist line. Cut off anv
surplus, leaving about 5 - 6 cms to make a hem on the edge. Turn up and hem down
the bottom left hand corner of the under apron 2 cms, and run back to nothing in
about 14 cms (Diagram 2)
CHAPTER 4 - THE FINISH
Diagram 7: Showing wrong side of the pleats cut away surplus from hip to waist
1. Turn the Kilt over to present the wrong side. Cut the surplus material of the
pleats away at an angle from just above the sew line (Diagram 7), but do not cut
away the first pleat or the reverse pleat. This surplus material is cut away to
reduce bulk as much as possible, so cut away as much as you can. Cut away a
couple of the centre pleats first to give yourself confidence.
2. Stiffen the front apron and the back for a depth of 20 cms and stiffen the
under apron for a depth of 12 cms. You will have to cut and overlap the canvas
to get the waist shape. Hold the canvas in place with a big pad stich.
3. Bind the top edge with a piece of tartan. You will find the top edge is all
frayed by now, it will not hurt to cut it short by 2 cm or so to get a good
edge.
4. Make an opening (to take the under-apron strap) in the second pleat at the
waist. A bound button hole about 4 cms long and astride the waist line is your
best bet.
5. Press the Kilt off. Use a good hot iron and damp rag. The pleats will need a
good dead press and as you have tacked them all in position you should have
little difficulty. All of the pleats must be pressed straight with the check
pattern, which is how you have tacked them ready as you made them up, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF THE FIRST PLEAT AND THE REVERSE PLEAT. These two pleats must be
dealt with separately. Release the tacking on these two pleats only (i.e. the
first pleat and the reverse pleat) and press them at an angle springing out 4
cms at the bottom edge.
Press the top part of the pleats - the sewn part and down about 4 - 5 cms below
the sew line first. Then lay the pleats on your ironing board starting from the
apron and cover with a damp rag. Steam all over, re-damp your rag and wring out
as much as possible. Have your iron hot and obtain a house brick or anything
flat and heavy - another cold iron will be ideal. Work from the left down using
the hot iron in your right hand "width-wise" and your cold presser in your left
hand. Hold the hot iron on firmly for about two seconds to force in the steam,
then place your cold iron on the spot you have just steamed. Repeat this all the
way down and then all over the pleats.
It is slow work but effective. Remember you have six thicknesses of cloth to
bang a good press into. The iron puts in the steam but it is the cold iron
condensing it under pressure that actually gives you a dead press, so the cold
iron is the one to press down firmly So your rythm is hot iron on, lift hot iron
and put on cold iron and press it down. Put hot iron on next "iron width" down,
lift hot iron and immediately move cold iron from old spot to new spot. Repeat.
Note:- If you have adopted the "press as you go" method of making the pleats
your task of pressing off the free hanging pleated portion will be considerably
easier, and may not be necessary at all.
6. Make the leather straps about 12 cms long and as wide as your buckle and sew
them on,one to go in the waist and one on the apron just above the sew line
(Diagram 1).
7. Sew on the buckles. They go with their leading edge on the second from last
pleat, and the under apron buckle goes with its edge just clear of the hole
8. Make two runners about 8 cms long and sew them about 22 cms apart on the back
astride the waist line.
9. Line the top with your lining from the top edge to the sew line, just
covering the interlining, and remove the tacking stitches. As an extra you can
sew on two loops to hang it up like a skirt.
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