Kiltmaking using Harris Tweed: rip or cut double width?

[Barb T]

I would cut it - it's pretty thick to rip. And honestly? I always cut tartan too. I find that when I rip it, no matter how hard I yank, I always get little pulls perpendicular to the ripped edge, and I don't the look of it. And it's easy to cut tartan parallel to the color stripes, so I'm happier with the result when I cut it.

Also - does it have a selvedge? The tweed that I've worked with doesn't have a selvedge (although sometimes you have to look really carefully to see that it doesn't), and I've had to put a hem in it. The hem actually presses fine, and it's not too bulky in a box pleated kilt. I did make an 8-yard knife-pleated kilt last summer in tweed and had to put a hem in it because it didn't have a selvedge. I was very worried that it would be obnoxiously bulky at the bottom, and it was actually pretty bulky to feel, but it looked fine. And the customer said it was fine to wear. Todd - do you have a pic you can post?