kilt makers....not tartans

[Mr. MacDougall]

the older members (and some of the newer ones) and not as keen about kilt sin general

Yes, I've completely lost my taste for kilt sin. I'd much rather have kilt virtue.

(Best typo in a while!)

I bet that everyone who is a regular reader of XMTS would choose the second option without much thought at all.

The thing is, after seeing so much of their work on this forum, I have faith that people like Matt, Barb, Kathy Lare, et c., could do far more with that bargin basment cloth than a poor kiltmaker would with top-of-the-line stuff, and I'd still come out looking good. And I think that's the crux of the matter -- we want to look good, and we trust our kilt makers to make that happen.

[Tattoo Bradley]

Eventually quality wins out over quanity. It's great to try and amass as many kilts in as many tartans as you can in the beginning, but eventually as you learn more about kilts, their construction, what to look for, etc. You start to look at the kiltmakers and their products for the right fit rather than the quick fix.

I think many of us started out that way, and over the past 3-4 years of this forum the older members (and some of the newer ones) and not as keen about kilt sin general as we were in the introduction stage. We are very well informed now and we know what we like and what we want in a kilt. Many of us have tried all ends of the kilt spectrum, and know what we want next. If we want to go for the tailored, reputable, hand made product we trun our interests to the kiltmakers and make the tartan or colour secondary.

It's the same with any product. At 16 we want a car to get us around, at 18 we want something to show off with, and by 30 we want something that will last a few years, with as little servicing as possible, which is well made. Of course by 50 I am going to want something completely different...

This is EXACTLY how I feel! In the beginning I bought certain kilts that I liked for a brief moment... only to later learn were not well made garments at all. I am indeed much more well informed now. I know who does good work and they will continue to get my business.

[cloves]

I'm still not blind to good deals. For instance I've got my eye on a weathered Mackenzie Stillwater because the value just can't be beat.
That being said, i'm thinking my tastes are almost more ....genuine? now. It's not JUST the tartan that's attractive, it's also the artisanship, and camaraderie of owning something that a friend made that is more compelling these days.

[McMurdo]

I completely agree with you Cloves I would much rather have my kilt made by a friend who I trust than get a mass produced kilt. Right now I have 3 hand sewn kilts from Scotland and 3 others one was from USA kilts (my Black Stewart) and 2 Canadian Casual Kilts (My Maple Leaf, and my new XMarks.)

In the process I have become friends with Peter of Canadian Casual Kilts and feel very comfortable bouncing ideas off him. I trust him when he says it would be better this way, I am also talking to him about a couple more that I am really excited about, you will get all the details when they are done.

[Pleater]

Almost all my kilts have been remade, redesigned, refined - some of them four times now.

I can't walk past a fabric shop, I have to go in and look, just in case there is something good on the shelves.

I even stick to my diet because I want my kilts to look as good as possible.

I was really BAD last week - I saw a professionally made kilt made inside out - with the diagonals of the twill weave running the wrong way - it was beautifully made otherwise - but could I keep quite? Ms Diplomacy - NOT!!

Use a low quality fabric for a kilt? No way!! It's got to have swing, it needs gravitas, it needs length, no skimping, it needs time to get every pleat just perfect, the folds precisely on the line of the cloth, each reveal identical, any error corrected and all smooth, pressed, precise, perfect.

But as for selling one?

Oh no. Mine, all mine.

It is going to be some time before I could even think of parting with a kilt.

Those who sell kilts must be very generous souls.

[Peter C.]

Long before I found this site, I wanted to learn how to make kilts and searched the web for instructions and patterns. That's how I found Barbs book. In the book is a picture of a guy in the most beautiful kilt I had ever seen. I assumed that Elsie Stuehmeyer had made the kilt and tried unsuccessfully to find her to see if she did any kilt making courses near or in Tennessee.

Then I found xmarks, and having seen some of Barbs kilts I realize she could have made that kilt in the book. Her kilts are beautiful, perfect, magnificent, I find it impossible not to want one.

Peter

[way2fractious]

I assumed that Elsie Stuehmeyer had made the kilt and tried unsuccessfully to find her to see if she did any kilt making courses near or in Tennessee.

Then I found xmarks, and having seen some of Barbs kilts I realize she could have made that kilt in the book.

The kilts Barb T used to illustrate the book she co-authored were from all over. My guess is she made the perfectly fashioned ones, and someone else made all the ones she used as examples of bad pleating, bad stitching, etc.

As mentioned in the book's section, About The Authors, Elsie lives here in Nor-Cal. She comes out to the highland games, usually for the dance competitions, and she continues to teach a few kiltmaking workshops around the country - and likely fewer each year. Unfortunately, Tennessee doesn't seem to be in her circuit.

The post below also has other links regarding this year's workshops (now concluded.) See especially Wompet's writeup of the NY Kilt Kamp.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...53&postcount=4

As info comes available for next year, I'll try to make it available here on XMTS.

[Peter C.]

Thanks Way2fractious, I read Wompet's writeup, Elsie sounds like quite a character.

Peter

[RockyR]

Wich you prefer?

A kilt made from the best quality 16 oz. strome weight wool from your favorite mill in your favorite tartan, but made by a very poor kilt maker?*

Or

A kilt made out of material from a fabric store's bargin bin, but made by Matt Newsome, Barb T. , Steve Ashton, or Rocky?

I bet that everyone who is a regular reader of XMTS would choose the second option without much thought at all.

Cheers

Jamie

I don't know about the first option, but I will give you the standard quote I've said many times in the shop:

"It doesn't matter HOW GOOD of a kiltmaker you are... if you start off with very poor quality fabric, you'll end up with a very poor quality kilt."

[Howard Clark]

That's true of all sorts of stuff, Rocky, as I am sure you already know. ;)