Making the kilt

[hag]

I'm making my first kilt from the folk ware pattern is this a good start?

[chasem]

I assume you're going for a wool tartan kilt, based on the pattern you mentioned? I'd skip that and pick up Barb Tewksbury's book, The Art of Kiltmaking. It's a bit more involved, but for good reason. If you're halfway decent with a needle (as in, you're at least able to sew a button), you should be able to follow her book to put together a very respectable kilt

[hag]

Thanks for the info but where can I pick up a copy of Barb Tewksbury's book?

[Steve Ashton]

To get a copy please go directly to the author.
http://www.celticdragonpress.com/

[hag]

Hey Steve thanks for the info on Barbs book. I'm a piper can't wait for my first kilt, by the way do you know if there are any patterns for long hair sporran? I read some where that the piper has a long hair sporran,so I would like make the sporran to.

[OC Richard]

Artificer would be the one to give guidance about sporranmaking.

Vintage horsehair sporrans come up on Ebay all the time fairly cheap.

Pipers and everybody else who wore a kilt used to wear long hair sporrans, throughout most of the 19th century, but by the 1920s most kiltwearers had switched to the then-new range of small pocketlike sporrans in leather and fur. Eventually long hair sporrans were being thought of as 'military' or for pipers.

About kilts, there can be no 'pattern' because each kilt is designed from scratch based on the measurements and tartan. Two kilts made to exactly the same size, but made of different tartans, would be made differently, if pleated to the sett.

[jhockin]

The search function, on this website, works quite well, for things like kilt making, sporran making, etc. lots of members willing to help.

[gwynng]

I'd definitely skip the Folkwear pattern. It kind of sucks. Barbs book is fantastic. It is good enough that my first kilt is still one I wear with frequency. In other words, Barb and Elsie tell you how to make a kilt that is proper and totally wearable (with pride even).

As far as the sporran goes, I once stumbled across instructions for making a horse hair sporran. Don't remember where, but my google search was probably basic like "sporran pattern" or "how to make a sporran". I didn't make one, but the instructions looked extensive, so perhaps good.

[hag]

Thanks Hag

[Steve Ashton]

Thread closed at the request of the OP.