First Trad Kilt: an ongoing thread

**Southern Breeze** · 15th November 05, 05:10 PM

Maybe the company that makes Viagra is the same one that makes Carhartt fabric.

No, we're not getting off-topic,just letting off a little kilt-making stress.

**Southern Breeze** · 3rd December 05, 09:09 PM

After a period of time filled with much weeping and wailing,stress and the addition of many gray hairs my first kilt is almost done. All I like is the lining and buckles. IT'S PARTY TIME!!!!!!

**Robin** · 4th December 05, 02:46 AM

Wow!

Pictures? ;-)

**Barb T** · 4th December 05, 06:26 AM

Ooh - when do we get to see it??

Barb

**GMan** · 4th December 05, 02:32 PM

Anticipation is making me crazy.

**Southern Breeze** · 4th December 05, 02:56 PM

Pictures will be posted the first Monday in November.

**Ruanaidh** · 4th December 05, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Southern Breeze

Pictures will be posted the first Monday in November.

We have to wait 11 months?

**Alan H** · 4th December 05, 04:53 PM

*SNARL***

I have now sewn in and ripped out the first three pleats FIVE TIMES. I've given up counting the hours, it must be fifteen, at least. If I weren't a stubborn SOB I'd have given up by now.

However, I've discovered a way which might work. I lay out the fabric on a glass table. Nothing is hanging, nothing is unsupported, there are no wierd stresses on the fabric to put the width of the pleats out of alignment. I baste the bottom inch of the pleat, at the bottom of the fell just right. I pull the pleat more or less taught, working in the taper and then I baste the top inch of the pleat. With the top and th ebottom fixed in place, I then go through and base down the remining 6 inches. I baste the freaking DICKENS out of a few pleats, and then with great care, leaving the whole thing on the table, stitch it down by hand. For all practical purposes, I'm sewing these pleats twice..

I've managed to get three almost-acceptable pleats one this way. They're by no means perfect but they *MILES* better than the disasters I turned out before.

However, I'm battling massive frustration, here, and I'm about *this * far from pitching the whole thing and just having Rocky stitch up my X Marks kitl.

**Southern Breeze** · 4th December 05, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by Ruanaidh

We have to wait 11 months?

11 months? This is October! Where have you been? :-D

Seriously though, I will post some pics in the next week or two.The one I started first ( twill),is not much to look at. The second one is 98% finished.It's made from the Bruce Tartan,13oz. I've been out of work the past week and really had time to concentrate on it. I've got an 8 yard kilt in the Bruce Tarten and I pretty much copied it,with a lot of help from THE book. Having a kilt on hand to refer to is a major help when doing this the first few times.

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 4th December 05, 06:24 PM

Alan, I can understand your frustration! I find just sewing the pleats in my non-tartan material is a major chore. I can't imagine having to line up a tartan pattern as well! I want to say again that my hat is off to all the kiltmakers that work in tartans!

And on second thought, I should say that my hat is off to any kilt maker! Definitely a labor of love and not money!