It can be hard to sew a traditional kilt, but if you give yourself enough time and patience, you can finish the job. You can learn how to make this manly garment from this piece.
Choosing the Right Tartan Pattern
Pick a tartan based on the clan. Since the early 1800s, clans and big families have often had their tartan patterns in Scotland. You can only wear a clan pattern if your family has ties to that group, either now or in the past. Figure out what group you’re in. You can look for your clan name online if you know your last name or a name with Scottish roots.
Find out more about your clan. Once you know your clan name, you can look up more information about your clan to find out what plaid pattern or patterns are linked to it. Find your clan here: https://scottishattire.com/kilts-for-men
Pick a District Tartan
District tartans are as old as clan tartans, if not older. District tartans are spanning all of Scotland and many areas all over the world, as well. You can wear a district tartan if you or your family come from that district.
Regimental Tartan
Different types of tartan are worn by different clans in Scotland and other parts of the world. Should you be a member of a certain unit or have other direct ties, that tartan would be a good choice.
If all else fails, find a plaid that goes with everything. Anyone can wear a universal tartan design, no matter their clan, district, or any other information that could be used to identify them.
Some older, more typical choices are the Black Watch, the Caledonian, the Jacobite, and the Hunting Stewart.
Scottish National, Brave Heart Warrior, Flower of Scotland, and Pride of Scotland are modern choices available to everyone.
Measurements and Preparations
Check the space size between your hips and waist with a tape measure. With these measures, you can measure how much fabric you need for the kilt.
For women, measure around your hips and the smallest part of your waist. For men, measure around the biggest part of your buttocks and the top of your hip bones. When you measure something, make sure the tape is straight and taut from your body.
Determine The Length of The Kilt
The typical length for a kilt is from the waist to the middle of the knee. To find this distance, use a tape measure. Make this size 5 cm longer if you want to wear a wide kilt belt over your kilt. This will give you a high-rise waist.
Calculate How Much Material You Need
Because you need to shape the fabric, you will need a length much longer than the inside of your waist. How wide is the plaid or tartan design, called the “sett”? Each pleat will have a full sett and a pleat that sticks out about an inch (2.5 cm). Let’s say your cloth has 6-inch (15.25 cm) wide setts. Each pleat will need 7 inches (17.75 cm) of space.
To find out how much fabric you need, multiply half of your hip size by the number of yards needed for each curve and add this to your full hip size. Add 20% more to the total number of inches for extra pleating and centering. To find out how many yards you need at double width, divide this number by 72.
Hem The Material
Make sure you fold on the outside edge of a sett on both ends and pin the top and bottom sides of the fabric down. You can use a straight stitch to sew the hems in place or an anti-fraying glue liquid on the sides. This won’t need to be done if the top and bottom edges of the cloth are already sharp.
Making the Pleats
It will differ from the other pleats because the first one will help center the fabric. On the right side of the material, fold about 6 inches (15.25 cm) of it under itself. Hold in place at the waist with a pin. Make a seam on the left side of the fabric that goes around two sets. At the waist, use a safety pin to keep it in place.
Measure Out Your Pleats
Mark the width of one sett on a piece of cardboard or strong paper. Split this marked area into three to eight equal parts. Choose how many parts to split the pattern into based on your opinion. A nice part of the pattern should be in the middle piece because it will show through the pleat.
Pleat The Remainder of The Outside Apron
As you fold it, put your cardboard guide on top of each sett. Place the folded edge of each pleat on top of the design in the next set that matches it. Use a safety pin to hold it in place. You can use the cardboard guide to figure out where to fold your first few pleats. As you start to fold, you might not need the guide anymore because it should be easy to match the designs together.
Baste The Pleats along The Bottom of The Material
Catch the edge of each pleat with a running stitch. This will hold it in place at the bottom of the fabric. You need to bast in two rows. There should be about 1/4 of the length of the material between the first running stitch and the second one. The second one should be about 1/2 of the length from the bottom.
Iron The Pleats Flat
Press the pleats in place with a steam iron. This will make them last longer and help them keep their shape. Iron each pleat’s folded edge along its length. Some irons don’t use steam, but you can still press the pleats with a thin, wet cloth. This is how you steam-press the pleats: put this pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric of your kilt.
Stitch The Pleats Down
Sew across the width of the pleats and along the fold of each pleat. A straight stitch should be made across the top of your pleats, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the top edge. Do a straight stitch with your sewing machine along each pleat’s folded and ironed edge. You should only sew about 10 cm (4 inches) of fabric together. Only sew each curve some of the way down.
Trim The Back of The Pleats
When you fold something this way, you might end up with extra material. You can cut this off. Cut away any extra fabric from the part of the body that ends at the waist and starts 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the hips. Don’t take any fabric away from the first or last pleats.
Adding a Waistband
For the belt, cut a piece of material that goes with it. The length should be the same as the top part of your kilt apron, and the width should be 5 inches (12.7 cm). It should be just a little longer than your original waist size.
Stitch The Waistband To The Top Edge of The Outside Apron
The bottom edge of the belt material should be turned under 1/2 inch (1.27 cm). Fold this edge over and sew it on the outside, 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the top edge of the kilt flap. It would be best if you folded the width of the skirt that is left over the top of the kilt. The inside will cover the raw ends, so you don’t need to finish it.
Adding the Lining
Duck cloth should be cut into pieces. Duck cloth or canvas 1 yard (91 cm) long should be cut into 10-inch (25 cm) wide strips.
Gradually Wrap Sections of Duck Cloth Around Your Waist
The inside will be made up of three pieces of strips 10 inches (25 cm) wide. Wrap the first piece around the back of the person wearing it. In the places on the right and left where a side seam would normally be, attach two more pieces to the first one.
Bring these two side pieces together and wrap them around the front until the side seams of each piece meet on the other side. Put everything where it needs to be.
Stitch The Lining To The Waistband
Line up the top edge of the lining with the top edge of the skirt on the inside, and sew them together. Do an overlapping stitch along the top inside to attach the lining to the kilt apron. Only the top needs to be put on. The bottom of the lining doesn’t need to be sewn to the outside of the apron. Please remember that the inside of the belt will also be sewn under the lining to keep it in place.
Hem The Material
You can make it stay in place by sewing a straight line along the bottom edge of the lining. Do not sew it to the outside of the apron. You could also use an anti-fraying glue if you don’t want to sew the hem closed.
The Finishing Touches
You’ll need two leather belts long enough to go around your waist and about an inch (2.5 cm) wide. The first leather belt should be on the inside of the kilt, just below the waistband.
The second leather belt should sit just above the bottom of the loops that are sewn down. It should be on the bottom of the kilt again. Attach the bands with thread. The buckle parts of the belts should be connected to the pleats, while the leather parts should be attached to the lining.
Stitch Velcro Onto The Apron
Add extra support by sewing a Velcro strip to the top of the apron. Along the top right edge of the front flap, sew one-half of the Velcro. On the top wrong side of the flap, sew the other half.
Wear The Kilt
It should now be time to finish your kilt. To put it on, wrap the fabric around your waist and buckle the belts to keep it in place. You can use the Velcro to give your kilt extra support and keep it in place.