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Here's an Instructables for making your own utility kilt. Looks like it wouldn't be too hard for someone who knows their way around a sewing machine. Even has mathematical formulas for calculating how much fabric you'll need. Check out the comments, too, including photos of other people's results.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to- ... /?ALLSTEPS

Worthy of note are wearers including a five-year-old boy as well as a teenager who wore it to his high school formal dance.

Yes, good instructions, except that measurements should be taken at the widest part of the body (then divided by 3, etc) not at the waist. This mistake probably accounts for one of the kilts shown having aprons that barely reached across the knees.
It is good to know that people took up the idea of making themselves utility kilts.
If I had thought my machine would sew through more than one thickness of heavy denim type cloth, I would have tried rather than ordering the one mentioned recently, which is still to stiff to wear.

Martin

What a great tutorial, and so easy even someone like me who can't walk and chew gum at the same time can understand. I'll be back shortly to study it as I hope to be making a heavy canvas tarp /wool lined kilt for our winters that get to -40F. A piece of canvas enough for two kilts cost only about $35 US. Wool blankets for lining/underskirt are about $2 at the used store.

Do you recommend boiling cotton material for this kilt to help with later shrinking and dyeing?

This instructable is really good. I've made three of them. I had just purchased a sewing machine last winter and was experimenting with skirts, with not very great outcomes. I stumbled on the kilt topic and decided why not. I bought some cheap cotton broadcloth to do a practice run. The result was rather spectacular compared to previous experiments. So i made a second one out of the remaining material. The result was less than pleasing as I deviated from the instructions by altering the pleat width and being less than honest about waist measurement. So back to basics and bought some camo light weight canvas and followed the pattern except that I shortened so it fell slightly above my knees. About 19 " length. Very pleasing outcome. I didn't have the ambition to do the cargo pockets or buttons and in my opinion all three garments look more like skirts than kilts. The shorter length probably contributed as well. But I was pleased with outcome.

I wouldn't boil the material prior to construction of a garment, a simple washing will suffice. Also the material be should dyed prior to construction. This is advice from family members who are professionals in the field.

Thanx, pepsie for the hint about boiling. The cargo kilt I got in was so large I had to shrink it by boiling, and then I boil-dyed it...nothing weird happened, it's 100% cotton.

Couya wrote:Yes, good instructions, except that measurements should be taken at the widest part of the body (then divided by 3, etc) not at the waist. This mistake probably accounts for one of the kilts shown having aprons that barely reached across the knees.
Martin

I wonder if the guy wanted traditional length, right at mid knee. My utility kilt kept falling down from my true waist to where I where my pants, at the widest part of the hip, and the length came to just under three inches below my knee. I hemmed it to mid knee, where I prefer it to be.

Maybe just add the extra length of 3" if you're going to wear to true waist or 3" below knee if wearing at hips.

Have utility/cargo kilts, measured from the true waist at the navel, maybe slipped down to the waist, falling below the knee and making a new standard for kilts? I hope so. The way some folks knock utility kilts, this could sure give them a apoplexy.