I'm not quite sure if this is where my question goes, but I figure the pros would have the best advice....

My first kilt was/is an 11oz. Hector Russell. I believe it's an 8 yarder, but I'm not certain. I bought it second hand (ex-hire maybe?) in one of their shops in Edinburgh. It has three problems, one I noticed only after getting my second kilt, and two that I only learned after reading on this forum.

1. The inner cotton lining is not actually sewn down at the fell; only tacked (is that the right term?) in about 4-5 places.

2. There is no canvas lining at all.

3. The stitching of the pleats at the fell has many stitches that are between 1/4" and 1/2" long. On the outside, you'd never see it, but inside it just seems a little sloppy.

The bottom line is that now that I have a better idea what to look for, it seems like somone raided it for parts and then slapped it back together or something. Just seems weird.

Anyway, here's my question. How hard is it to replace the lining? Fix the stitching on the fell? What type of stuff is necessary? Do I need to send it to a pro kiltmaker or tailor, or can I get help from my mother or mother-in-law, who are both fairly good, but amateur tailors? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!