help in Kansas...

[Panzer]

Well, I'm about ready to take the plunge and have a custom trad made. I know that I want to stay with the 16 oz weight and I want the US Army tartan. ( Desert storm vet here...) What I want to know is are there any other kilt makers closer than Kansas City to Wichita? I've already chatted with Chattencat about having him make my next kilt, but I was hoping to save some gas money and not have to drive all the way up there. I could wait til the spring and make it a road trip on the bike for the weekend, but i don't want to wait...

So my question is, are there any other kilt makers out there that I should talk to? I am not trying to offent Chattencat or discredit his work. In fact, if he lived closer, I would have already had him make my new kilt for me.

[Howard Clark]

I've two of Wally's make, both eight yard knife pleated in medium weight wool tartan. I have never been to see him, and they both fit very well. I am well pleased with both of them.

I would love to go in person to see the kilt maker. But living in the cornpatch as I do, that is not a simple thing. However, it is not really necessary, so long as you understand they way they (the kilt maker of choice) want you to do the measuring. Good luck, and it is a happy day when a new hand sewn kilt arrives.

[turpin]

The US Postal service delivers right to your door. Only McMurdo travels like that (10 hours, FGS!) to pick up a kilt.

The main thing is to follow your kiltmaker's measuring instructions exactly,and don't try to second-guess the tape. You might think you have a 36 waist becasue that is the number on the label of the pants you wear, but designers these days use a longer inch than the Bureau of Weights and Measures does.

For length, if you can't find someone to measure for you, try this:

Make a mark at the place where you measure your waist. Tie a string where you want the bottom of the kilt to fall around your knee. Pull the tape under the string (low number first) and up to the mark on your belly, standing fully erect. let the tap go slack and read what it says at the string. This will be the correct drop. the kiltmaker adds a rise of 2 inches or more (2 is standard, more is customer request).

I've had good results with this method.

[Barb T]

Any kiltmaker will work with you over the phone or via email to make sure that you have the kilt that you want and that it fits properly. I personally measure only about 1 in 20 kilts that I make.

[Rex_Tremende]

Say, Barb - I'm curious whether you do much different when you meet a client in person for measurements.

Best regards,
Rex.

[Barb T]

Nope - I do the measurements the same way I instruct a client to do them. The only thing I try to do is find a kilt that will at least go around the person and use that to measure the length. I suggest that clients do this, too, but many don't already have a kilt.

Well, I guess I also look at a person's shape and use that to judge how to tweak the splits. Sometimes I ask someone to send me a photo in profile if I can't make up my mind about what to do.

[Panzer]

Ok, so just do the measurements the way the kiltmaker wants them and maybe send a few pics of overall body shape... Any other advice?

[sydnie7]

There are several ways to pleat [almost] any tartan -- to the sett, to one stripe, to another stripe, to "no stripe." BarbT has mentioned (and shown us) how she does "test pleating" to show the customer various options. That may be something else to discuss with your prospective suppliers.

Also, I think anybody buying a trad kilt should invest the ~$40 in Barb's book. Even if you never put needle to fabric yourself, it will give you a much better idea of what to look for, and what to ask about, when you are shopping.

Enjoy it!

[Riverkilt]

There's a good reason I own ten traditional hand sewn kilts by Kathy Lare. www.kathyskilts.com Add her to your list to check out.

Couple nice things I enjoy is that she's a full time kiltmaker so the jones is shorter. And, she takes two payments - a deposit up front, and the balance on completion. So, you can get her started without having to pay for the entire kilt before it exists. She uses the deposit to bring in the fabric, charges you for her craftsmanship after the kilt is sewn up.

She's also very helpful in obtaining fabric options to choose from. And, if you wanna do it up big she was trained in how to sew military box pleats at Keith Kilt School...much different than what we talk about as box pleats here.

Don't think you can get the U.S. Army tartan in 16 ounce though...guessing its only in 13 ounce that Strathmore Mills makes their military tartans in. But even so, with deep hand sewn pleats its gonna still be a tank.

You're right to do wide research before you buy, you'll know the right kiltmaker for you. Just stay with dealing directly with a kiltmaker for a hand sewn kilt...middlemen complicate the process, isolate you from your kiltmaker, and sometimes lead to misunderstandings and delays.

Enjoy the process - its fun.

Ron

[The Barry]

I have a Tewksbury tank, and it's beautiful.. She will walk you through the measuring to ensure that you receive a kilt that fits you very well. I imagine that all reputable tank makers here on the forums do as well, but I can only personally attest to Ms. Tewksbury's amazing kilt making talents. Hey, she even ACTUALLY wrote the book, FGS!