taking my first alan made kilt to the cleaners

[James MacMillan]

James, Any competent kiltmaker can get your kilt back in shape unless it has been crumpled in a box somewhere for 20 years.
If you can't find anyone, send it to me and I'll do it.

OK - After things slow down after Christmas, I'll see what we can work out. So busy right now, that I feel guilty poking the keys instead of doing other more important stuff.

[Alan H]

J
Yes, I always tell my customers to baste their pleats before any washing.

It is far better to hand wash a good Wool Kilt.

Then baste and hand-wash, I shall...after Christmas, tho.

[Alan H]

Hmmm...hand wash with woolite and lay out flat on screening? I have an old window screen. Hmmm.

[Bugbear]

You might even be able to support the window screne with the edges of your tub and leave it there until it has stopped dripping water or even until the kilt is dry

Hmmm...hand wash with woolite and lay out flat on screening? I have an old window screen. Hmmm.

[cacunn]

I was working on winding some yarn into yarn balls and I heard a commercial for a Hamilton Beach sweater dryer. Having just read this thread my ears perked up. A multi-layer flat screen dryer.




http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/product...ion.php?page=1

you might want a look at this.

[Alan H]

OK, I did a quick and dirty basting over the past couple of days and last night I washed it with woolite in the bathtub. I put it in the washing machine on "spin" and let it spin out most of the water for about 5 minutes. Then I laid it out on towels in the garage overnight.

It's now hung up in the house on two long kilt hangers, sort-of-close, but not too close to a heater vent. With luck, it'll be dry tonight and I can press it and take out the basting stitches.

[James MacMillan]

For me, the thing was always to take your time. I never tried the dryer, relying more on many many towells. But if it was still pretty damp, when you hung it up, it should be OK.

The basting, for me, was the most important part. When I do my wools, the hardest part is on my back. Leaning over the bathtub and squeezing the water/soap mixture and then the rinsing was hard on my lower back. I've always been afraid of the washing machine or dryer on wool. The agitation is what bothers me.

Let us know how it comes out, and what you learn, and what you will do differently next time.