X Marks the Scot - An on-line community of kilt wearers.

   X Marks Partners - (Go to the Partners Dedicated Forums )
USA Kilts website Celtic Croft website Celtic Corner website Houston Kiltmakers

User Tag List

Results 1 to 10 of 32

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    30th March 05
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    1,543
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by davedove
    It's four yards for double width cloth. Originally though the looms couldn't produce what we call double width. So, the cloth was woven twice as long in the smaller width, but in half, and sewn back together to make the necessary width.

    But anyway, yes with double width cloth you would only need four yards.
    my apologies, that is what I meant.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    13th September 04
    Location
    California, USA
    Posts
    11,885
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Great Kilt....great stuff, but hang on here.

    The Great Kilt was worn ....and we can debate precisely which decade and all until we go cross-eyed, but roughly from the last quarter of the 1600's to at the Drop-dead latest...1749. See, there was this little battle on the moor at Dramossie, and shortly after that Scots couldn't wear tartan at ALL, so the kilt pretty much disappeared until the Gaelic revivial in the early 1800's.

    There are roughly (very roughly) about a dozen defined tartans that are known to exist and are documented as existing before 1749 an the Battle of Culloden. Every other tartan came into existance, or at the least, was "associated" with a clan after 1800. So the linkage of clan and tartan didn't happen until well after the Great Kilt ceased being worn on a regular basis.

    OK in the late 1600's most guys who were wearing a great kilt would have purchased the material from the local weaver in their region. In other words, they bought "homespun" wool. Homespun isn't as tight a weave as "worsted" wool. It doesn't make as nice a formal kilt as worsted does...for one thing, it doesn't take as sharp of a pleat. But wait, you're wearing a Great Kilt, not a formal modern kilt. Who cares about pleats?

    Buy Homespun wool, not worsted wool for your Great Kilt. Two good sources for homespun wool are the Celtic Croft, which advertises here at X Marks. They offer a number of tartans that are homespun wool and make super Great Kilts. The other source is Hamilton Dry Goods online. They have four tartans which approximate the look of homespun, and they're wool/nylon blends in four non-clan tartans. Pick the one you want, buy four yards of it (it's double-width) at EIGHT DOLLARS A YARD.....and you just spent $32 plus shipping for your great kilt.

    Buy one of the "peasant" style linen shirts, a bonnet and a simple belt and you're there. Then you hit the REAL expense and challenge of your Great Kilt getup....the footwear. Good luck on THAT.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    7th April 05
    Location
    Frederick, Maryland, USA
    Posts
    5,502
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    [QUOTE=Alan H]The Great Kilt was worn ....and we can debate precisely which decade and all until we go cross-eyed, but roughly from the last quarter of the 1600's to at the Drop-dead latest...1749. See, there was this little battle on the moor at Dramossie, and shortly after that Scots couldn't wear tartan at ALL, so the kilt pretty much disappeared until the Gaelic revivial in the early 1800's./QUOTE]

    Well actually, it was the late 16th century, or the 1500's, but otherwise you're right on the mark.
    We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. - Japanese Proverb

  4. #4
    Join Date
    13th September 04
    Location
    California, USA
    Posts
    11,885
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    [QUOTE=davedove]
    Quote Originally Posted by Alan H
    The Great Kilt was worn ....and we can debate precisely which decade and all until we go cross-eyed, but roughly from the last quarter of the 1600's to at the Drop-dead latest...1749. See, there was this little battle on the moor at Dramossie, and shortly after that Scots couldn't wear tartan at ALL, so the kilt pretty much disappeared until the Gaelic revivial in the early 1800's./QUOTE]

    Well actually, it was the late 16th century, or the 1500's, but otherwise you're right on the mark.
    **grimaces**

    I DIDN'T make that goof; tell me I didn't type that 1600. Oyyyy...

    Thanks for the correction Davedove.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    8th June 04
    Location
    Port Crane, New York
    Posts
    2,531
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    As a reenactor with lots of experience "living" in a belted plaid ("great kilt") for a weekend, I recommend 4.5 or 5 yds to get the depth of pleating you want to make it look good (and for doubling into a nice warm blanket at night!). And these are the best commercially available mocs to replicate the "currans" or "cuarans" of the Highlanders of old:

    http://www.arrowmoc.com/pt.html

    As has been said (repeatedly!), clan tartans are not an issue for pre-1746. A wealthier clansman of the chief/chieftain/tacksman class could afford tartans with a bright red background - a favorite, generally derived from expensive, imported cochineal dye. Lower "class" folk would use local dyestuffs for their tartan cloth, resulting in less-bright brick-reds, browns, yellows, black, etc....
    Brian

    "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~ Benjamin Franklin

  6. #6
    Join Date
    18th April 06
    Location
    Phoenix Metro Area, AZ, US
    Posts
    926
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Woodsheal
    As has been said (repeatedly!), clan tartans are not an issue for pre-1746. A wealthier clansman of the chief/chieftain/tacksman class could afford tartans with a bright red background - a favorite, generally derived from expensive, imported cochineal dye. Lower "class" folk would use local dyestuffs for their tartan cloth, resulting in less-bright brick-reds, browns, yellows, black, etc....
    And there's primary documentation noting that browns were popular as camouflage for the Highlander on the heath...

    http://www.reconstructinghistory.com...ish/kilts.html

    In James Aikman’s 1827 translation of George Buchanan’s 1581 History of Scotland: “They delight in variegated garments, especially stripes, and their favourite colours are purple and blue. Their ancestors wore plaids of many colours, and numbers still retain this custom but the majority now in their dress prefer a dark brown, imitating nearly the leaves of the heather, that when lying upon the heath in the day, they may not be discovered by the appearance of their clothes; in these wrapped rather than covered, they brave the severest storms in the open air, and sometimes lay themselves down to sleep even in the midst of snow.”

  7. #7
    Join Date
    7th April 05
    Location
    Frederick, Maryland, USA
    Posts
    5,502
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Alan H
    Buy one of the "peasant" style linen shirts, a bonnet and a simple belt and you're there. Then you hit the REAL expense and challenge of your Great Kilt getup....the footwear. Good luck on THAT.
    You'll also need some kind of pouch to hold things like your car keys, etc.

    You can go with some of the less expensive moccasin style boots to start. They aren't completely accurate, but they're close and nobody will say anything. That is unless you run into the "period police".
    We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. - Japanese Proverb

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

» Log in

User Name:

Password:

Not a member yet?
Register Now!
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.0