Am I on the Right Track for Kiltmaking?

[Alan H]

Yikes, I feel like I stepped on the cat's tail without knowing it. I just want Mark's kilt to look nice. If everyone asks him, "Hey, Mark, did your momma make your kilt (hee-hee)?" then it might embarrass him. I want this to be a positive experience for both of us.

After reading all the responses, I know I can only do my best, and my best will have to be good enough. I made my wedding dress and walked down the aisle in it. I want Mark to feel proud to wear his kilt to his Prom. Sometimes not knowing what you're doing wrong can snowball, so with Elsie there to give me instant feedback, I feel confident now that I can do a good job.

Not at all...at least, you sure didnt step on this cats tail! I applaud you for ordering the book and/or going to the workshop and learning how to make a kilt! I have to say, though...that the cost of the book and the material and the workshop, all put together would more than pay for a very nice kilt for your sons prom. On the other hand, you wouldn't have the fun and satisfaction of making it. There's something else, too......your son will have a kilt that YOU made.

I treasure the paintings that my mother did. My wife feels that her mothers ceramic art is priceless. The kilt that I made, using threads from my mother in laws thread stash, while I sat in the living room of her house while she was dying, "being there" for my wife and her brother, has no price attached to it. Your son will value that kilt far, far FAR more than the most impeccably tailored masterwork, because YOU made it.

AND...if you made your wedding gown, I bet you are going to turn out a pretty darned nice piece of kit.

[Barb T]

One of the things that I always disliked about make a kilt is the top band not matching up with the under-apron. I did have one kilt (one out of 50, or 2%) where I was able to match the top band on the over and under apron. To have this occur, one must have the pleats at the top of the kilt be a multiple of the sett. Ah, to have the under-apron match with the top band is, for me, nirvana.

Cheers and kilt on,

But, Wally, methinks that's because you are an engineer at heart and in fact. But, frankly, even though it would bug your sense of perfection and proportion, not even a lack of alignment in the apron is likely to show if someone is wearing a belt properly!!

Having said, that, the underapron thing bugs me too - hee hee - so it's not just engineers but scientists, too ;)

Of all the kilts I've made, only a few have had the pleats just right to have the underapron match the top band as well. How fabulous is it that one of those kilts was Matt Newsome's kilt?? He's one of the only people who would have actually realized how cool that was....

[Paul Henry]

But, Wally, methinks that's because you are an engineer at heart and in fact. But, frankly, even though it would bug your sense of perfection and proportion, not even a lack of alignment in the apron is likely to show if someone is wearing a belt properly!!

Having said, that, the underapron thing bugs me too - hee hee - so it's not just engineers but scientists, too ;)

Of all the kilts I've made, only a few have had the pleats just right to have the underapron match the top band as well. How fabulous is it that one of those kilts was Matt Newsome's kilt?? He's one of the only people who would have actually realized how cool that was....

off the original topic , but following on from Barb and Wally's posts...
today I was attaching the waistband on the kilt currently on my work table, and guess what I saw.....
So it happens, not just to scientists and engineers!
Sorry it's not a better picture

[Calico]

The first step was to get help by signing up for Elsie's Kilt Boot Camp. The second step was to listen to Elsie, and buy 4 yards of doublewide high-quality tartan cloth from Strathmore so I wouldn't self-defeat my chances of producing a good kilt.

More info please!

Blandford Imports is offering her class in April but I could not find info on a Feb. class. Sold out already?

Thanks

(edit to add: paulhenry, you were lucky this time... don't expect it to happen again! (good job!))

[Tartan Tess]

The Feb. class is closed because it is being held at Elsie's house and she wanted to keep it really small.