The Highland Kiltery: Making Kilts

 

kilt  noun

noun: kilt; plural noun: kilts

1. 1.

   a knee-length skirt of pleated tartan cloth, traditionally worn by men as part of Scottish Highland dress and now also worn by women and girls.

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The husband loves wearing kilts.  And what woman doesn't appreciate them, too, right?  Think Liam Neeson in Rob Roy.   Eh, don't think: LOOK:

 

Kilts are traditional dress and were often belt-pleated, as you can see in the images below - kilts, much like the woman's corresponding arisaid, were pleated on the ground, & the wearer laid down on them, belted them, and was on their way.  Kilts rock...they're clothes and bedding all in one.   Nowadays, we hear people call them "man skirts" but let me tell you...they make a heck of a lot more sense than pants.  I've tried sewing pants.  That ended tragically.  Besides from being easy to make, they're tremendously comfortable, non-constricting, warm, practical.  I firmly believe that only insecure men and women call them skirts.

 

About a year ago, we bit the bullet and bought some authentic, hand-woven, custom-ordered wool tartan from Scotland for my husband (scotweb.co.uk) .  We had to wait 8+ weeks as they hand-dyed and hand-wove the beautiful tartan...(just look at it - so pretty!)  It's Lamont Weathered tartan and we bought enough so we could make him two kilts.  Here is how we do it, as we don't (I mean won't) pay upwards of $400 for a kilt. 

 

 

Making a Kilt:  The Wifery Way

*This is husband's method, I take zero credit for the brilliance.

 

What you need (well, what we use!):

* gorgeous tartan: length = one hand's length beneath sternum down to knee, width= your hip to hip width, 4x

*scissors

*thread (match to your tartan, I failed here)

*leather puppy collars (3/kilt)

*duct tape.   Yep.  You read it right.

*needle or sewing machine

*pins

 

 

Step 1:  Cut to the length of the kilt (and measure 2 or 10 times, if the fabric is $65/meter), We were lucky to be able to use the salvage for the waistband.

 

 Demonstrating how to measure length of fabric needed - one hand beneath breastbone, down to floor when kneeling (the proper length of kilts...despite what you may see at reenactments where some fellers have mini skirts and a little too much "swish swish swish" when they walk)

 

 Step 2: Measure hip to hip length from one end.  This will be the front flap of the kilt.  Pleating will begin right after this length.  (See the finished kilt we have laid over the Lamont tartan as an example)

Step 3: Begin the pleating process.  This can be tricky depending on the set of the plaid.  Husband was able to get the tartan to retain it's set when pleated.  We will steam the pleats and set them so the pleated length = hip to hip width.  (I pin the ends after pleated in case the cat jumps on the table and screws it up or something)

 

Preview:  Align the waistband (for later addition - this is why pleating to your tartan set is very important.  If you don't do it correctly, your waistband will never line up.)

 

Step 4: Pinned and ironed. Ready to lock them down!

 

Step 5: Time to bust out the duct tape!   It's just quicker than pinning everything down, and it retains the pleats perfectly.  In the next step you will be sewing from the end of the tartan to the top of the duct tape, which is placed at the top of the hip (you will need to take your measurement from top of kilt to top of hip to get this measurement.)

Sewing the pleats down. (Note my *not-so-straight* sewn line above the top of the duct tape - again, another reason to keep the thread matching your tartan color scheme.)  NOTE: your last pleat will be a back pleat or it will look goofy.  See next photo.

 

 

Step 6:  I have the kilt rolled up, and the pleats are sewn down.  The last pleat is a back pleat-  basically a pleat pointing in the opposite direction from the rest - it is what will give the kilt proper movement.  Think of the last two pleats kissing as they point towards one another)  Anyway...this photo demonstrates that we are measuring the length of the other kilt end. This is hip to hip measurement, beginning at the last pleat)

Step 7: Attaching the waistband.  It's folded over, and aligned to the set of the plaid. Pin it, iron it, sew it.

Waistband interior, prior to sewing onto kilt

 

Sewing on the waistband - I sew another line at the top, to give it rigidity.

 

  Step 8: Time for those dog collars!   And yes, if you buy 6 of them, the pet store lady will assume you've just had a litter.  She will look perplexed when you tell her "no, I'm making my husband kilts".  At least she will have a story to tell when she gets home that night.

 

Each collar will do double duty. You will cut it in half, or really, cut it close to the latch end, and keep the other end with the holes as long as you want/need.

Step 9: You'll sew one of the latch ends at the left hip, pointing forward.  The other two will be on the other hip.  The hole-end will be sewn on:  1)if the kilt is being held behind you as if you were wearing it, one will be sewn to the end and top of the fabric in your right hand.  Two will be sewn onto the fabric in your left hand.  the right hand will be tucked inside, and there will need to be a hole cut into the tartan to allow the collar through, to tighten in the fastener on your hip.

Demonstrating singe'ing the rough ends of thread.

 

Step 10:  Almost done!  Fitting for placement of the collars/fasteners  (back pleat is a little more prominent in this image)

 

Demonstration of the hole needed on the left hip, for the collar to feed through and tighten to this clasp.  In this photo we have begun reinforcement of the hole with sinew.

Taaaaaa-daaaaa!  One custom kilt, made to order.

 

 

Happy kilting.....

~The Highland Wife