Looking to replace straps?

[nab2488]

Thanks however I don't know what you mean by a tandy store? I do plan in getting barb's book someday but right now I was hoping someone could tell me how.

[puckhead9]

Tandy is a store that used to be part and parcel of Radio Shack. I am originally from Western NY and I got all my leather crafting supplies from there. However - They went belly up in that area many years ago and I do not think they are very widespread. Here is a link to Wikipedia on Tandy if that helps any.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Corporation

Good luck in your leather crafting hunt.

[The Wizard of BC]

Many of us in the business use straps from Highland Xpress.

http://www.highlandxpress.com/patterns.html#bs

If they are good enough for professionals then they should be OK.

To attach straps to your Kilt I would first suggest looking at how the existing straps are attached.
Pay attention to how many layers of fabric the stitches go through.

If your current straps are machine sewn then do so again. All you will need is a sewing machine and some matching thread.

If your current straps are hand sewn then you will need some heavy duty thread and a large hand sewing needle.

I would suggest Black Upholstery thread which you should be able to find at your local fabric or sewing store. The needle you will probably need is about 2 inches long, will have a hole for the thread big enough for the thread to go through.
The reason for the large needle is two fold. First you are probably not an experienced hand sewer and larger needles are easier for a first timer to use. Second you will be sewing from one side only. Your stitches should not go all the way through to the front of the Kilt. So you will be bending the strap as you sew to get a straight needle down, into one hole and out another. The larger the needle the stronger it should be and less prone to breaking which can be dangerous to your fingers as well as expensive.

If your hand stitching you will probably need to punch some holes in the strap for the needle and thread to go through. I use a leather punch here in the shop. It looks like a pair of pliers with a rotating head for different size holes, but a nail will work without the expense.

here you can see the straps hand sewn on.

Please note the pre-sewing holes for the thread. and also the 6 strands of thread through each hole to make it strong.



Please also note that the two straps on the outer apron are sewn to the inside of the Kilt apron. The single strap on the under apron is sewn to the outer surface of the fabric. This allows you to sew the straps in the proper location.

Now, we get to the buckles. If your new straps are longer than the originals you may find you will need to adjust the position of the buckles.

Here is a shot of the left hand buckle. Note that due to the hole in the Kilt for the strap to go through you cannot move this buckle. So you adjust the position of the strap on the apron instead. (see above)



Here are the buckles on the Right side of the Kilt. Note that the buckle tabs are machine sewn. You will probably not have any excess fabric to make new buckle tabs so don't worry about trying to keep the Tartan pattern aligned.



I hope this helps and is the answer that you were looking for.