I just did the kilt, not the jacket or the knitting stuff. Overall I would definitely recommend this pattern, it’s much better than the Simplicity versions of kilts as well as being more traditional, but there are a few things I discovered missing in the instructions. I found them the hard way, and since I’m still pretty much a beginner at sewing, they weren’t fun to fix. Here’s my changes:
When measuring and planning for the kilt, add about an inch to your measurements, else it will come out too small. I had to add in extra pleats last minute, and since I’d already cut out the insides, it meant patching some of them.
When it says to cut out the excess fabric in each pleat, cut out all of them EXCEPT the first pleat from the overapron and the reversed pleat by the underapron.
For my measurements (30″ waist) I had to put the belt loops closer together than they said in the pattern.
I put darts in the front aprons (because I’m female, and it wouldn’t have fit otherwise) and did a double fringe along the outer apron, but those were both on purpose. I was living far away from a sewing machine at the time, so mine is entirely hand-stitched. It’s possible to take shortcuts with a machine in some places, I think. But it’s nice to be able to say I made that with no machine. I usedbraeraich (13oz/yd) muted Campbell tartan. The kilt really does hang nicely, but it was extremely windy that day and I couldn’t get it to lie flat. In fact I very nearly mooned the neighbors; always a danger when wearing a kilt.
Jesse Wiebe –
I just did the kilt, not the jacket or the knitting stuff. Overall I would definitely recommend this pattern, it’s much better than the Simplicity versions of kilts as well as being more traditional, but there are a few things I discovered missing in the instructions. I found them the hard way, and since I’m still pretty much a beginner at sewing, they weren’t fun to fix. Here’s my changes:
When measuring and planning for the kilt, add about an inch to your measurements, else it will come out too small. I had to add in extra pleats last minute, and since I’d already cut out the insides, it meant patching some of them.
When it says to cut out the excess fabric in each pleat, cut out all of them EXCEPT the first pleat from the overapron and the reversed pleat by the underapron.
For my measurements (30″ waist) I had to put the belt loops closer together than they said in the pattern.
I put darts in the front aprons (because I’m female, and it wouldn’t have fit otherwise) and did a double fringe along the outer apron, but those were both on purpose. I was living far away from a sewing machine at the time, so mine is entirely hand-stitched. It’s possible to take shortcuts with a machine in some places, I think. But it’s nice to be able to say I made that with no machine. I usedbraeraich (13oz/yd) muted Campbell tartan. The kilt really does hang nicely, but it was extremely windy that day and I couldn’t get it to lie flat. In fact I very nearly mooned the neighbors; always a danger when wearing a kilt.