If I were to write out directions, who would make a mini-kilt?

[LK-13]

you know,
reading is the single most important skill any person can have.
point of fact if you can't read an on line forum is really useless.

now should some one make a post suggesting someone GO TO THE LIBRARY and look up instruction on the subject of Kilt Making,
or if a person did a GOOGLE SEARCH on the subject and found the directions else where...

would this upset a sponsor?

i mean there are tons of books and websites about every subject,
so what is the difference?

other than sending a forum member elsewhere and there by harming the forum
I don't see anything else being accomplished.

I was talking with a person at a local leather working supply shop yesterday
about making my own Sporran,
so if I do, and become good at it,
and make Sporrans for others or post directions for DIY;
am I going to be rubbing a sponsor the wrong way?

causing harm to a forums membership doesn't seem like something a sponsor should be doing.

[heartofglass]

Would love the directions. Besides, it would give me something to do! And yes, I WOULD post the pics

[Dreadbelly]

Would love the directions. Besides, it would give me something to do! And yes, I WOULD post the pics

Giggity!!!

[Alan H]

I'm sorry, but I've been asked to not contribute to actions which would negatively impact the sales of X-Marks advertisers. Specifically, writing the Skirt Manual was OK'd (which only makes sense, I mean, how could someone stop me from doing that!?) , but direct encouragement on the forum of individual people making their own garments, and thereby not purchasing from forum advertisers has been nixxed. I was asked most politely about this and while I'm not delighted about it, I'm not angry about it, either. I'm happy to comply.

Upshot is, I have started a process with Dirka Skene whereby she will be making her own tartan skirt, and since I've started the process I think it's only fair to complete it with her. However, I won't be expanding that coaching/advising/encouraging process, publically, beyond Dirka, so as to comply with the request, and not negatively impact the sales of X-Marks advertisers. If, after seeing Dirka's skirt, anyone has questions about it, then you're certainly all welcome to PM me and ask and I'll do my best to answer. At that point, Dirka will be *the* authority, so you might want to be asking HER!

As in all things like this, my main goal has always been to encourage learning, growth and experimentation. To put it simply, Dirka says she can't sew a stitch. She says she's never threaded a sewing machine. But I have sworn to her that by the time we are done, she will have made herself a nice pleated skirt. The message is clear. if Dirka can do it, YOU can do it.....Just like if Tartan Hiker, who'd never sewn before he made his first X-Kilt....if he can build an X-Kilt, then YOU can build an X-Kilt. Once you've done that, you will know, intimately why you pay good money for the high-quality garments our advertisers offer to us, and you will know EXACTLY why they cost why they do. What seems like and extravagence now, will seem reasonable after you've done it yourself.

I will still cheer mightily for those in the DIY forum who create their own garments, blades and sporrans. I will still share pictures of my own creations as I have time to make them. I will of course publically answer questions about making X-Kilts, as that project has been widely adopted by X-Markers for quite some time. I just won't be personally, publically encouraging others to do create non-X-Kilt garments of their own, publically on the forum. In PM's, that's a different story!

Cheers, and carry on!

Alan

[Alan H]

Writing the manual was OK'd, though of course that's kind of pointless, because I can write what I want. I assume that the "OK" was to make the manual available on the forum. So I could in fact choose to write the manual and distribute it via the forum.

The concern that was voiced was in regards to my publically singling out Dirka Skene to encourage her to make a skirt, rather than buy one. she has expressly stated interest in purchasing from one or more X-Marks sponsors. The person who contacted me asked me to not make a practice of doing this with individual X-Markers, as it would impact the sales of X-Marks sponsors.

So I COULD still write the manual and distribute it. However, it seems to me that to do so would violate the spirit of what I've agreed to do (and not do)....so I'm not going to distribute it. I will write up instructions for Dirka, and I'm sure that you all will get to see the skirt she's going to make. Those that know me personally...the Nor Cal Rabble can ask me for a personal copy if they want it, and I'll happily give it to them, "offline".

I've already *possibly* impacted sales of kilts through the publication of the X-Kilt instructions. I, too don't think that making an X-Kilt is going to keep anyone from buying kilts in any significant quantity. All our advertisers tell us repeatedly how busy they are. The dozen sales they may have lost in the past year to an X-Kilt-maker is a drop in the bucket compared to the business they are actually doing, and in fact the X-Kilt, I suspect , though I don't KNOW of course, may have *helped* spur sales.

Whatever the case, the X-Kilt is here to stay. Many people have made them, and I'm sure that people with little or no connection to X-Marks have downloaded those instructions and are happily making X-Kilts. The "kilt is out of the bag" so to speak with the X-Kilt.

Not so with a set of instructions for a pleated tartan skirt.

The request was delivered to me quite nicely, and with no offense intended or taken. I, personally see no problem with telling people how to make pleated skirts, but if others do, then I also have no problem shushing up on the topic. Understand that I was not asked to completely stop helping people make their own garments. I was asked to stop DIRECTLY, PERSONALLY, PUBLICALLY one-on-one on the forum encouraging people to make their own garments, and thereby deprive our Advertisers of potential sales. there's a difference between those two things.

I choose to honor my agreement to that principle by not publishing the "Skirt Manual".

HOWEVER, I STRONGLY...STRONGLY encourage anyone who owns a sewing machine to take some measurement from the lady of their choice, fire up your imagination, buy some tartan and go to it. Making a 3-yard pleated tartan miniskirt or knee-length skirt that closes with velcro is just not that hard.

if that won't suffice, then make her an X-Kilt that opens on the left side. Those instructions are available for anyone to download, with the blessings of X-Marks management and full commentary and support here on the forum.

'nuff said by me on this topic...LOL

[ccga3359]

My apologies to any of the mod squad, whom I thought you were contacted by. As you were contacted by a kilt maker my question I pose to them;
How does one member encouraging another to try making her own skirt differ from me telling this same individual to not go with kilt maker "a" but instead go with kilt maker "b"? Have I not done the same theoretically? Whereas you've encouraged someone to explore the larger world of kilting, I on the other hand have taken the sale away from "a" because of personal preference of "a" or plain bias against "b". Further whereas I can cause a person to find a kilt maker of better quality Alan's kilt maker wouldn't be. With all due respect Alan, I think your impact on our sponsor/makers is quite infinitesimal! The rabble is to each and every member muli-kilted or at the very least headed that way. We all are interested in supporting our sponsors, but more importantly we are also here to support each other.

[ScottInNewHampshire]

My thought. There are plenty of people willing to buy kilt and plenty who could make a kilt and some (like me) who have done plenty of both. Let's not get petty or greedy. There are all sorts of readers on this forum, from a wide variety of economic abilities or lack there of.

Alan H has done a great thing to bring the kilt to the masses. I doubt that any vendor on this forum has suffered one bit. Kilt makers and company owners are members of this group as well, participants as well as providers of products.

Make a kilt. Buy a kilt. Do some of both. I didn't know that the advertisers had that much say here. Hmmm.

[Alan H]

The request came from one of the moderators, not from any of the advertisers.

[Mike1]

I contacted Alan and expressed my concerns over his actions. I explained that he doing much more than simply writing a D-I-Y manual. He was homing in on an individual that was already showing interest in the offerings of three different kiltmakers, two of whom support this forum through advertising. The third is a former partner that has expressed an interest in renewing that partnership.

I cannot seem to explain this enough times. The ads you see on this forum bring in the revenue to support this forum. No ads = no revenue = no forum. It's a simple fact. Turn on your television and if there are no pleas for you to send money to the broadcasting station, you are watching programming that is supported by advertising revenue. It is the same with radio programming and newspaper/magazine publishing. When was the last time you read a newspaper without ads? When was the last time you attended a sporting event without company advertising splashed everywhere?

ScottInNewHampshire, our sponsors can tell you they actually don't have much "say" here, forum policies are not subject to their review. However, we do want to keep reminding our members that our sponsors have a wide variety of products, in all price ranges. We want you to visit with these merchants and we hope you won't be shy and that you will tell them you saw their ads on this forum. While these companies don't have much 'say' about forum policy, their advertising dollars are what is allowing you to read these words. So these companies are actually saying a lot.

And the really wonderful part about each one of them is that they all conduct themselves with incredible professionalism. Have you ever given any thought to how well Rocky and Steve get along with one another? USA Kilts and Freedom Kilts are competitors, yet you would never know it to watch Steve and Rocky on this forum. And this is just one example, because there is never an air of competition amongst any of our sponsors. When was the last time one of our advertisers singled anyone out on this forum and challenged them to purchase something from them? I've never seen that happen, either.

For those uncomfortable with us developing partnerships with these merchants, there actually is a alternative available. Paid memberships and forum subscriptions. We can charge each one of the members an annual membership fee and then charge an additional amount for each forum's access. Pay the toll else you're on the outside, wishing you could look in.

Hey!! Why did it suddenly get so quiet in here, where did everyone go?

Hmmmm, maybe we not such bad guys for wanting to protect our sponsors after all...

[ScottInNewHampshire]

Not to be defensive here but check my threads, I am very supportive of our ad hosts, never a bad word. Just seemed a bit over the top to me to have a mod create a fuss.

I also know that one of the rules is not to question the rules. so I'll have to let it go.