buying kilt fabric

[KEArnold]

I am looking to buy enough fabric to make into a great kilt, I'm guessing it's 8 yards? I'm really not sure. Most of the sites I have come across are in metric and I'm really confused as to the width of the material as well as the length needed.

Anyone with information on a link in American standard measurements would be helpful, or the usual metric numbers I should use.

[longhuntr74]

First, I'd recommend that you read this thread (assuming you haven't):
great Kilt

Another resource that discusses size and construction can be found here: Early Kilt

Your subject matter experts on this forum off the top of my head are: M.A.C. Newsome, Woodsheal, and Sir William...and there's probably about 10-15 others that have greatkilts as well that I haven't immediately thought of.

Regarding your question about measurements and how much tartan, etc...

Meters vs. yards: The meters vs. yards question is nothing to get wrapped around the axle about. A meter is roughly 39", which means it's about a finger's length longer than a yard...so you can use yards and meters virtually interchangeably...you just get a little more tartan for your money (ie. if you ordered 4 meters of fabric, you'd end up with 4 yards + 1 foot).

Tartan Width: The "norm" these days is for tartan to be woven in double width, which is usually between 54" and 60" wide, depending on the mill (most common is 54" and 58" IIRC). Some mills still weave tartans in single width which will normally be 27-28" wide. You just need to be sure of what you are ordering when you order.

How much tartan do you need?: Original great kilts (as explained) by Matt Newsome in the Albanach.org article) were made out of single width tartan of about 25" wide. At that width, a piece of tartan of approximately 8-9 yards wide was required...the tartan would be cut in half and the two 4-4.5 yard pieces were then joined together to make a rectangle of tartan about 50" wide (two widths) by 4 yards long. Some have stated that they have found 3-3.5 yards to be enough length. If you are larger in size, you'll probably need at least 4-5 yards. If you want to be authentic, then you can look specifically for single width tartan or rip your double width fabric and then rejoin it by sewing to create that seam look. If you're buying double width fabric and don't care about the seam...you can just leave it as is. A piece of tartan between 3.5 -4.5 yards will suffice for most people.

Hope that helps...I'm sure others can share their experiences and advice. I've never worn one, so all that I've said her is just summarized from what I've read and been told.

[xman]

Depending on your size 4-5 yards≃metres of double width 11-13oz material should work nicely. I'm a little smaller than most, and I wouldn't want more than 4 yards. Gentlemen of substance might need 6 yards. 16oz is too heavy.

[longhuntr74]

Depending on your size 4-5 yards≃metres of double width 11-13oz material should work nicely. I'm a little smaller than most, and I wouldn't want more than 4 yards. Gentlemen of substance might need 6 yards. 16oz is too heavy.

Xman's recommendation of lighter weight fabric reminds me of two other points, as well...

If you're going for authenticity, you'd probably do best to stay away from modern, common tartans. I know Woodsheal made a kilt out of some unnamed fashion tartan that he found at the fabric store and it looked great. If you search for "Jacobite" on the forum, you should find that very long thread about authenticity in creating a mid-Eighteenth Century impression.

You may also want to go with a courser weave than most modern tartans. I know that Celtic Croft offers such a product (not endorsing them, however, as I've never done business with the company. I think they are fairly reputable though.)

Again...hope that helps you in your decisions.

[KEArnold]

Thank you all for your help on this. Sadly "Celtic Croft" does NOT carry any of the Montgomery tartans at all, so I'm stuck looking for a place that does. I'm hoping eventually to find a shop carrying the Ancient Montgomery plaid (a bluish colour with green stripe/check).

[longhuntr74]

Thank you all for your help on this. Sadly "Celtic Croft" does NOT carry any of the Montgomery tartans at all, so I'm stuck looking for a place that does. I'm hoping eventually to find a shop carrying the Ancient Montgomery plaid (a bluish colour with green stripe/check).

Almost every XMarks "partner" (see the top of your screen) can get you the tartan you are looking for (in a modern weave, of course, not "homespun"). The two largest US based ones are USA Kilts and Scottish Tartans Museum...others are in Canada or Scotland primarily. Sometimes it's easier to deal with North American vendors as the customs and duties on importing stuff from overseas can be quite expensive in the way of hidden costs (though not always...that's a long discussion unto itself). Good luck in your quest.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Here's a direct link to where you can buy tartan by the yard from our gift shop:
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/material.html

And my article on the early kilt:
http://www.albanach.org/kilt.html

You may also be interested in this article:
http://www.albanach.org/evolution_pt1.html

And some interesting new research from Peter MacDonald on how (at least one) belted plaid was constructed using a drawstring.
http://scottishtartans.co.uk/A_Highl..._MacGregor.pdf

[figheadair]

Depending on your size 4-5 yards≃metres of double width 11-13oz material should work nicely. I'm a little smaller than most, and I wouldn't want more than 4 yards. Gentlemen of substance might need 6 yards. 16oz is too heavy.

X, that's a matter of opinion, and I suppose informed by where one intends to wear it. For my part I would only consider 16oz as it is much closer to many of the surviving specimens. Medium weight cloth is, IMHO, too smooth and lifeless for a good reconstruction.

Of course it's difficult to make an accurate reconstruction because, spinning and dyeing aside, C18th plaids were always made from joined single width cloth that was offset and often with a selvedge mark or pattern. These techniques are explained here - http://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/Joined_Plaids.pdf

[Nick the DSM]

I'd recommend 13-16oz. It is not too heavy to wear 16oz great kilt, I did it in the summer and I was perfectly fine.