Good Evening, All,

As I'd threatened in an earlier thread, I've started my new kilt according to the instructions given in The Art of Kiltmaking. I'd read the book pretty much start to finish 3 times before I started, just to get an idea of what needed to be done, and, even then, there were a couple of instances where I really had to sit down and think about what I was doing.

Just for review, we started with 4 yards of double-width US Army tartan from Scotweb (16 oz/yd x 8 yd = 1 heavy kilt). Per the instructions, I've ripped the tartan (and wasn't THAT just a nerve-wracking experience), and I've marked the aprons and pleats. So, I should be just at the beginning of chapter 6, wherein I get to pick up a needle and actually start sewing.

I've got several pictures taken at various points in the process that I'll try to get up at some point. The only problem is that, with the size restrictions on the galleries on XMTS, I may have to find somewhere else to host the pictures if anyone really wants to be able to see anything out of them.

Also, as an experiment, I took a piece of the Joanne's chalk (which I believe has a wax base) and some Goldstar chalk (which, as far as I can tell, is just pure chalk), and performed an experiment on a small, leftover piece of the tartan. The objective was to see if the wax-based chalk was harder to get out than the recommended stuff. When I get the pics up, you'll be able to see the results for yourself. The Cliff's Notes version is that the Goldstar chalk was just noticeably easier to remove, and after equal effort, was just barely more noticeably faded. Note that I didn't work on either test mark until it was completely gone, so I don't know if the light marks that either the good or bad chalk left will be removable.

I'll reply back to this thread with the pics sometime tomorrow evening (I hope). If nothing else, I'll post the smaller pics and, if anyone is interested in the full-size pics that you can expand, I'll be happy to e-mail them to any interested party.

So far, the process has been fun, and it kind of scares me that I know where I am, have not yet been lost by the instructions, and that all of the instructions have been consistent with other instructions.

I may end out making a nice kilt yet...