Looking for a tailor in New England USA

[Mackinnon61576]

I've got a formal dress kilt that I need hemmed before my wedding next June. I've never had much luck with mail order alterations, so I'm looking to find a reputable kilt tailor in the N.E. area. I'm in Southern NH and would really like to be wearing the kilt when it's measured for alteration. Any suggestions?

[Ryan Ross]

You really don't need a kilt maker to hem a kilt. Any tailor that you trust should be able to do the job well. Just stress to them that the hem must follow the line of the tartan exactly, and tell them to do a machine blind stitch. I had my father's kilt done in this manner, and you can't even tell that it has a hem in it. One word of caution, though- the heavier the material, the more likely it is that the hem will be slightly visible. If your kilt is 13oz. or lighter, you shouldn't be able to tell at all. Even with 16oz., though, you should be ok.

Good luck to you!

EDIT: Also, it really isn't critical that the tailor be present to establish the location of the hem. Just put the kilt on as you normally wear it, decide how long you'd like it to be, and get someone to pin up a bit of hem in front of your knees. At that point, take a look at it in the mirror, from a few different angles, and make sure you're happy with the length- it should be pretty easy to judge, at that point, just make sure that you get someone else to pin that hem- bending over to do it yourself will make it very hard to judge the length accurately.

EDIT EDIT: Did I mention that the hem on my father's kilt only set me back 20 bucks? Try getting a kilt maker to work for that! LOL...

[Barb T]

You really don't need a kilt maker to hem a kilt. Any tailor that you trust should be able to do the job well. Just stress to them that the hem must follow the line of the tartan exactly, and tell them to do a machine blind stitch.

EDIT EDIT: Did I mention that the hem on my father's kilt only set me back 20 bucks? Try getting a kilt maker to work for that! LOL...

The reason that a kiltmaker like me charges $40 to hem a kilt is that, done properly, it isn't as simple as Ryan suggests. You need to unstitch both the fringe edge and the underapron edge up about 10", and remove the little bits of hem that should be in a properly made kilt, as shown in this thread:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/l...778/index.html

Then you open everything flat and press it well to get out the creases. Then you turn up the hem parallel to a tartan stripe _except_ that you turn up an extra 1/2" at the point of the deep pleat and an extra inch tapering to the regular hem depth 9" from the underapron edge. If you don't do this, the corner of the underapron and the corner of the deep pleat will sag and show at the bottom of the kilt.

Then, the kiltmaker stitches the hem, presses the hem, sews both the fringe and underapron edges back together again, bastes the entire kilt, and presses it.

It is a job that takes several hours if it's done right. So don't scoff at a kiltmaker who charges $40 for this work, as I do.

[BEEDEE]

You might want to contact BarbT by PM.

Brian

[Riverkilt]

I had a hem come out of a Utilikilt Original first washing. Found a Navajo lady working at the local dry cleaners that did such repairs for a very small fee. She sewed it back good as new.

Just open your local yellow pages and look under tailors then make some calls.

good luck...but hemming a "formal dress kilt" doesn't seem the thing to do...can you just wear it higher on your waist?

Ron

[Mackinnon61576]

I'd be wearing it up around my nipples if I had it hit at the top of the knee like I want.....

[Riverkilt]

Whoa! Must be someone else's kilt eh? Doubt there's time to start a new fashion trend of "Empire waistline kilts" - nor an interest.

Good luck finding a tailor. Don't over look your relatives. You may have kin who can do it for you too.

Ron

[Tim Little]

I would recommend Betty Brown at Bonnie Blink Enterprises in Moultonborough, but I'm not sure she's in business anymore.

Contact info is as follows, anyway:

Visit us at... Route 25, Moultonboro, NH 03254
Write to us at... PO Box 713, Center Harbor, NH 03226
Tel: (603) 253-7477
Fax: (603) 253-8398
Ties, Scarves, Tartan and Tweed Caps, Kilted Skirts Stock and Special Orders - over 400 tartans available. Seamstress for fittings and Reconstruction.

[Mackinnon61576]

My folks ordered it while visiting Scotland last year. It's a beautiful Hector Russell kilt in the modern Mackinnon tartan. Problem was that they had my waist measurement but no idea of the length. They wanted to surprise me with the kilt, so they felt they couldn't call and ask what the measure should be. So, they used my father's measurement and added a little because I'm 2 inches taller than he is. It's just too long.

[Bugbear]

Barb T. was already suggested; Our member Bonnie Heather might also be able to help you if you contact her by PM. I think she is in the New England area.