How long does it take to make a kilt?

[fluter]

What I can't figure out is if using pins speeds up kiltmaking, or slows it down due to putting them in and taking them out.

That's easily answered.

If you're as good as Elsie Stuehmeyer or Kathy Lare, then excess pins would merely slow you down. What Tartan Tess is saying is that in Elsie's method, a single pin is used. Elsie and Kathy were trained as professionals, so speed was of the essence.

I work on a more mundane level, so it's likely that a few extra pins will speed up my work, by avoiding having to re-sew pleats. My stitching technique still has to be good, but my accuracy is not up to a full-time kiltmaker with decades of experience.