Kilt Kamp 2017 - The photo thread

[javankrona]

[QUOTE=Steve Ashton;1344078]And a couple of me.

While I am teaching.



Weathered Campbell?

[Father Bill]

NOW they show. I didn't get those before. Much cool!

[Steve Ashton]

javanaroka,

I assume you are asking about the Tartan of the two kilts I am working on.

Both are the Black Watch Tartan in the weathered color version. Black Watch in the ancient color version is also Campbell.



The kilt behind me is for myself and the one I am putting straps on is for a customer. This is the kilt that Barb hates due to the liner. The customer specified a Canadian 1st Nation themed fabric. Barb's comment is that making a kilt like this shows disrespect for the Tartan and lowers the kilt out of the Professional realm down to "Just Home-made".

A difference of opinion I guess. To me "professional" is giving the customer exactly what he asks for, and is paying for. I guess it is also a different way of looking at the kilt. I view the kilt as a garment to be worn. It should fit the way the customer wants his kilt to fit even if that means other than full rise. Many people prefer to view the kilt as a study in the appreciation of fine Tartan.

I make an analogy in my classes using a fine woodworking magazine. You can find some magnificent tables in these magazines. The workmanship is up at the museum level. The woods beautiful and the finishes flawless. You can appreciate the artistry that goes into these works of art but heaven forbid you actually use one. They are meant to be seen and marveled at but not for putting a cup of coffee down on.



I prefer to make good quality harvest tables. The ones you see loaded down with thanksgiving dinner. The one that has served your family well for 3 generations. Where all the stains and marks are circled with the date and notes like. "Uncle Jim spilled his wine here in 1923 telling that funny story for the 100th time."



I also explain the difference in how I make and teach kiltmaking like this -

"A Traditional kilt is the only garment today where the wearer is expected to change and adapt their expectations of how they wear their clothing to suit the garment."

"A Contemporary kilt is one where the fit and construction are adjusted to fit the needs, fashion sense and style of the wearer."


In fact this is pretty close to what it says in the book "The Hand-Crafted Contemporary Kilt ". (THCCK)

"Many people use the word 'Contemporary' when they refer to any non-traditional or modern kilt. I use the word to mean – 'A Traditional kilt that has evolved to suit the needs of today’s kilt wearers'.”

[derosa]

Really wanted to be there for this but the process of moving has left me neck deep in a term paper with a this friday deadline. Cool to see the work that's being produced and interesting take on the liner for the kilt. I get what you're saying Steve, I make cutting boards of what most would consider exceptional quality and design and the worst thing I hate to hear is that it is too pretty to use. I always have to point out that no one can see you cut on the bottom of it which means it can still be utilized and displayed. Keep the pictures coming.

[Steve Ashton]

Thank you Derosa,

The kilts I make, and the ones people learn to make in my classes, are meant to be worn. Worn often.
I have one kilt with a small hole in it. I am proud of that hole. I know exactly how it got there and there is a really neat story behind that hole.

Some people do view kilts more as an exercise in fine Tartan appreciation than a garment to be used. That's OK, it is just not what I concentrate on. I want my kilts to last a long time, to retain their looks and fit for many wearings and in many activities.

I guess if my customers just stood for photos in their kilts or only wore them once or twice a year I may feel differently and may make a different kilt.

I can understand and appreciate the artistry that goes into some kilts. Showing off the Tartan fabric is the goal. The maker does anything necessary to retain and preserve and display the Tartan at its best.

I like Tartan. It instantly tells the world who I am where I come from and how I got here. But I also like wearing my kilts.

[Barb T]

Barb really hates this kilt.

Just for the record, I do not "really hate this kilt". My personal preference is for plain lining in a kilt, but it's up to other people what they put into their kilts. I choose to try to convince customers to let me put in a traditional lining. For Steve, it's important that his customers choose the lining they want. It doesn't mean that one of us (or one of our kilts) is unprofessional. It doesn't mean that I hate Steve's kilt - what it means is that I would make a different decision if I were making the kilt. His kilt is a fine kilt that reflects his style and ethos. My kilts are fine kilts that reflect my style and ethos. We are both professionals and make professional products.

Steve and I are both professional kiltmakers, and we make decisions differently about all kinds of things. We disagree about quite a few things, and those of you who know Steve know that he feels passionately about his choices. I honestly thought it was a friendly difference of opinion and that both of us were OK with each other being passionate about our own choices.

And I have never said that putting a patterned lining inside a kilt shows disrespect for the tartan. Never. Ever.

[MacKenzie]

Three MacKenzies!

Thanks for the pics. Keep 'em coming!

[sp00ky]

Three MacKenzies!

Thanks for the pics. Keep 'em coming!

Also loving all the MacKenzie - REPRESENT

[Barb T]

The kilts I make, and the ones people learn to make in my classes, are meant to be worn. Worn often......

And the same is absolutely true of the kilts that I am teaching the students in the traditional class to make. The very first kilt I ever made 22 years ago is still going strong as a competitive dancer's kilt, and that's because of how it's constructed. Yes, it's constructed differently from the kilts that Steve makes, but there isn't one right way to make a good-looking, long-lasting kilt.

I want my kilts to last a long time, to retain their looks and fit for many wearings and in many activities.

Well, so do I. Why would any kiltmaker want to make a garment just for people to pose for pictures in?? That's why I teach students to put all the interior construction into any kilt they make.

[grizzbass]

I really am going to have to do this some day. nice shots. (although the Iceland shot looks tempting also)