Alternative to kilt pins

[The Wizard of BC]

I promised some of you photos of an embroidered Clan Crest I am doing.



I now have a computer driven embroidery machine and am doing some custom work.

[The Wizard of BC]

And because you asked.....

Here is the crest on a kilt apron.


This all started when I bought the machine. I was tired of paying someone else for my logos. Plus if someone changed their kilt order I had to go to the embordery place and beg them to run just one.

Now I do all my logos in house.

The software was a %^*& to learn. but once a design is in the machine it's only a matter of pushing one button.

Because I first digitised the basic crest, I can now produce any crest I can find a picture of.

I figure this crest would cost about $35.00 but as I get better, the price could go as low as 11.00 or 12.00 each.

[Dwarf]

Before you get all heated up about pins and ways of holding kilt together ...

bear in mind that some Highland soldiers wear kilt panels and ribbons. Not tied nowadays, but were designed to tie the kilt together particularly in windy weather on parade.

The officers of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princes Louise's) (91st & 93rd) still wear an embroidered panel on the front of the kilt and two ribboned rosettes on the back. Theirs was designed by the Colonel in Chief Princess Louise, after as legend has it, an officer accidently flashed at her on parade

Once I find a photo of them I'll post it

Yours aye,
Dwarf

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Dwarf,

We have a civilian kilt in the Scottish Tartans Museum that has ribbon ties on the right apron closure, about mid-way down. The ribbons are about 1.5" wide (I'm going on memory) and in silk, striped in the same colors as the tartan. One is sewn to the apron, the other is sewn onto the kilt so they can be tied together. This kilt dates from the early 1800s. So it wasn't just seen on military kilts!

Personally, I think a small colored embroidered badge might look ok in the kilt pin position of a solid color kilt. But I would have to say no to them on a tartan kilt. I just don't think they'd look good.

But I always tell people that they can wear anything at all for a kilt pin, so long as it is about the right size. They don't have to fit the common mold of "clan crest on a sword" that you see everyone wearing. And, of course you have the option of wearing none at all. It's purely there for decoration, and if you need to dispense with it, please feel free!

M

[Graham]

Sorry Graham, but I would not replace a kilt pin with an embroidered anything on my Scottish kilts. To do that is, to me, like having stickers all over one's car - Ugggh! If I felt the pin was a danger, either to the kilt or to myself, I would simply dispense with it. Similarly, I do not always wear a sporran, the skean dubh or garter flashes - although not for reasons of safety!

Having said that, my recently acquired Welsh cilt came with an embroidered St. David's motif just below where the cilt pin is worn - but that appears to be a 'traditional' feature of the cilt and, as such, I am quite content to wear it.

Well Mr.Hamish, I have stickers on my car, what do you say to that then!!!!;)

I guess this is one of those preference things.

Steve..well done on the embroidery. I am involved a bit in computerised embroidery a bit with my business. I don't have the gear myself, I sub-contract it out.

IMHO, I think if you were to loose the circle around the clan badge it would look better. I know that makes a much more difficult job tho'.

[The Wizard of BC]

Graham,

The only reason that the circle is there is because this customer wanted it.
The size of 3" dia. was chosen by him.

Normally, a clan crest patch would be the shape of the crest only.
The crest only is 2 1/8" X 2 5/8".

Of course, I can re-size it to almost anything. But this size is about minimum to be able to read the motto.

I started with a crest that was 1" X 1 1/8" and then increased the size gradually until the letters were ledgable.

And of course the colors can be whatever the customer wants also. This one was done rather subdued to fit with the True Olive kilt.

I'm not a professional embroiderer by any means. I just thought it might be something neat to offer my customers.

Hey, I had one guy ask to have sinious Celtic dragons about 10" long embroidered directly onto the apron corners.

[Riverkilt]

Hey Steve,

Cool looking crests, neat machine.

Had an idea...a single double-wide flash with an embroidered crest on the flash...

Would it work?

Would it look stupid or cool?

Ron

[Graham]

Silly me, Steve, thinking I could educate the master kiltmaker!! sounds like a clever machine too!

[The Wizard of BC]

I thank you for the compiment Graham, but I am far from a Master Kiltmaker.


Perhaps I can just fake it real well.

[The Wizard of BC]

Ron,
Great idea, send me a crest or drawing or link to something and I'll give it a go.

I think it would look great.