Patterns for cool skirts

For those do-it-yourselfers...
Post Reply
User avatar
imadube
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 199
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:19 am

Patterns for cool skirts

Post by imadube »

Found this site with some cool patterns:
http://fitzpatterns.myshopify.com/colle ... ng-pattern
Good luck
Mark & Brenda Dubé
Tobacco Free Electronic Cigarettes
Two options to purchase;
Red Dragon Electronic Cigarettes
http://imadube.web.officelive.com
Green Smoke Electronic Cigarettes
http://greensmoke.com/5520.html
Sasquatch
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 486
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 3:18 am
Location: North Carolina coast

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by Sasquatch »

I like that skirt. Good luck with your project.

sasq
Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile,
Nothin' left to do but smile, smile, smile!

Hunter/Garcia
RokSterNL
Member
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:22 pm
Location: The Hague/The South-West of The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by RokSterNL »

It looks nice. I like it too.
User avatar
Since1982
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 3449
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:13 pm
Location: My BUTT is Living in the USA, and sitting on the tip of the Sky Needle, Ow Ow Ow!!. Get the POINT?

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by Since1982 »

Here's an interesting site for Kilt maker books. Do it yourself tons cheaper than buying a kilt.

http://www.celticdragonpress.com/index.html
I had to remove this signature as it was being used on Twitter. This is my OPINION, you NEEDN'T AGREE.

Story of Life, Perspire, Expire, Funeral Pyre!
I've been skirted part time since 1972 and full time since 2005. http://skirts4men.myfreeforum.org/
SkirtDude

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by SkirtDude »

Delete.
Last edited by SkirtDude on Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mipi
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 229
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:32 am

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by Mipi »

Since1982 wrote:Here's an interesting site for Kilt maker books. Do it yourself tons cheaper than buying a kilt.

http://www.celticdragonpress.com/index.html


I can highly recommend this book from my own experience. Real treasure!
jotham
Junior Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 10:08 pm
Location: South Orange, NJ, USA

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by jotham »

I am swamped with books for sewing, knitting, etc. What I need is a direct set of directions, maybe with diagrams for making a kilt. I don't need anything fancy.... probably made from chino fabric or mid weight denim, with belt loops and using buttons in place of velcro or straps. I get the idea about laying out the pleats for the back, the two aprons, top stitching the pleats, cutting away excess fabric above the hip line, but where I need help, is tapering in the pleats above the hipline in towards the waist. Any thoughts or directions out there?

I am going to a Quaker conference this summer in Blacksburg, VA and I would like to join the other men who wear kilts, there, mostly utilikilts.

Thanks
User avatar
Uncle Al
Moderator
Posts: 3853
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2003 10:07 pm
Location: Duncanville, TX USA

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by Uncle Al »

For most of us, there really isn't much of a 'Taper' to worry about.

I'd suggest you take the hip measurement and subtract the waist
measurement. The difference would be divided by the number of
pleats in your kilt. If your 'difference' is 2 inches and you have 16 pleats,
that would work out to 1/8" per pleat for the taper.

I have 3 Stillwater Kilts, and they don't have much of a 'taper'.
There is some, but not a lot. I my case, my waist is larger than
my hips but not by much. :oops: I'm in the process of losing
weight, so this will change :alien:

I hope this 'suggestion' helps you out :!:

Uncle Al
Duncanville, TX
Kilted Organist/Musician
Grand Musician of the Grand Lodge, I.O.O.F. of Texas 2008-2009, 2015-2016,
2018-202 ? (and the beat goes on ;) )
When asked 'Why the Kilt?'
I respond-The why is F.T.H.O.I. (For The H--- Of It)
User avatar
crfriend
Master Barista
Posts: 14414
Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2004 9:52 pm
Location: New England (U.S.)
Contact:

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by crfriend »

[... W]here I need help, is tapering in the pleats above the hipline in towards the waist. Any thoughts or directions out there?
First off, welcome aboard jotham! It's nice to make your acquaintance.

From recollection, there isn't any tapering of the pleats on a kilt as it trends towards the waistline. Instead, the already pleated portion has a couple of triangular sections cut from it (with the "points" downward to accommodate the cut) and then sewn together. This is known (again, if I'm recalling correctly) as "waist suppression" and is applicable only if the intended wearer's waist is smaller than his hips (in many men's cases this is not true). If your waistline is larger than your hip measurement, then one can simply drop the fabric from the waist, or one can factor in the "beer gut cut" that is done with the Utilikilt style.

Unfortunately, the reference I have here in .DTF (Dead Tree Format) was printed from a link that is now as dead as the tree my reference is printed on. :(
I am going to a Quaker conference this summer in Blacksburg, VA and I would like to join the other men who wear kilts, there, mostly utilikilts.
Do it up! And please post a "trip report". Inquiring minds are always curious about how things go in the world around them.
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
User avatar
AMM
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 841
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 4:01 pm
Location: Thanks for all the fish!

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by AMM »

jotham wrote:... where I need help, is tapering in the pleats above the hipline in towards the waist. Any thoughts or directions out there?
First of all, if you haven't made a kilt before, be warned: it's a lot of work, and precise work, too: any sloppiness will really show. I did mine without a pattern, but I don't recommend it if you want to get it right the first time. Folkwear has a pattern, I don't know how good it is. I've also seen on-line guides, try spending a few days Googling.

As far as taper goes, I have Traditional Scottish Kilt(tm), and there is definitely some taper to it, especially at the back. Unless your butt doesn't stick out at all (on most of us, it does), this is necessary. You also need some taper all around unless your waist (stomach) is substantially bigger than your hips, or else the pleats won't lie flat and it'll look like your kilt is too small.

If you're making your own and you aren't trying to make a Traditional Scottish Kilt(tm), then how much to taper depends on how you like your kilt to fit.

I prefer to have it hang from my "belt line", just like my trousers, and I like it loose everywhere else. "Belt line" means, in my case a line that is 3" lower in front than in back. "Loose" at the hips means adding about 8" to my hip measurement, which comes to 58". Since my waist measurement is 46", I taper each pleat from hip to waist in a 4:3 ratio. To be specific, I mark where the visible folds should go on the fabric, and if, say, they should be spaced 2" at the hip when folded, I sew them down for a little way at 2" (so they hang straight) and then, as you get closer to the waistband, I start pulling them closer together until they get to, say 1.5" or so. I also taper the apron, but that's trickier. I tried putting in little gathers, but wasn't happy with the results.

Cutting away the fabric above the hip line may or may not be necessary, I've heard differing opinions. If you are using 15 oz wool, it's probably a good idea. If you're using quilting-weight cotton, it's probably not worth it, and, given how flexible the fabric is, may cause the pleats to sag. I didn't bother.

One place to try asking is at the Usenet group alt.sewing There are a number of people there who have made numerous kilts, and they would know a lot more than me.
jotham wrote:I am going to a Quaker conference this summer in Blacksburg, VA and I would like to join the other men who wear kilts, there, mostly utilikilts.
That's only a month away, I wouldn't count on getting done by then unless you have lots of free time.
Mipi
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 229
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:32 am

Re: Patterns for cool skirts

Post by Mipi »

Don't wont be be "teachy" but there is a lot of thing to know when making the kilt. I have many free instructions found on the Internet and I bought a book "The Art of Kiltmaking" which is regarded as a Bible. There are some general instructions, but following them will not get you to good end result. At least for me this is true (I have never saw a kilt in real life beside my own, or kilted/skirted man other then as a costume or a prank). So I would highly recommend this book with illustrations and photos how to work.

This is the reason why I'm not giving any instructions at all to somebody that even doesn't know in general hove to make kilt. But it's much easier to make modern kilt. You can get good instructions for free on the www (or PM me).
Post Reply