Re: More progress on the kilt

BEI Design wrote:
Kate XXXXXX wrote:
BEI Design wrote:
<snip>
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! A break is good!

Yes it was! I was able to get lots done last night.

Otherwise, it looks like all is going well.

Yup. Just returned from lunch with DD, so I'll get back to it.

Just a quick question: why are yo cutting the fabric out
of the back of the pleats? Not the traditional way to do
this, according to the kiltmaker I had a swift tutorial
from In Edinburgh many years ago, and not what was done
to a great uncle's WW I Black Watch kilt, which later had
a bullet hole darned before being unpicked and cut in
half, joined up the middle, and used as a car rug for 40
years by my grandparents! (The hole was the closest the
great uncle came to being wounded: one of a very few very
lucky ones... )
No criticism intended: just curious... I'm thinking that
because this is a dance kilt, it may be due to keeping
her cooler.

None taken. ;-) I suspect the cutting of the hip pleats evolved for dancers into something a little more comfortable and less heavy/hot. By the time one pleats-to-the-sett, and tapers from the hip to the waist, there are at a minimum, *eight layers* of tartan at the waist. Not only hot, but very bulky. Our dancers are almost never dancing outside in the cold winds of the moors of Northumberland. Much more likely to be dancing in heated indoor venues or outside at Highland Games in July when the temps reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

My textbook for making kilts (this is my second one) is "The Art of Kiltmaking":
http://www.tartantown.com/art_kiltmaking.html
"Kiltmaker and award-winning educator Barbara Tewksbury has teamed up with legendary kiltmaker Elsie Stuehmeyer to bring you a book that teaches the traditional kiltmaking methods that Elsie learned 50 years ago as an apprentice and kiltmaker with the renowned firm Thomas Gordon's of Glasgow."
If you could see a close-up of that cover illustration, you could see the cut pleats, steeking, waist stay, tailor's basting, as well as the strap buttonhole. That's how my kilt looks at the moment.

I figure Stuehmeyer knows her stuff, and the local Scotswoman who mentored me through the first one used identical methods. She makes the kilts for many of the local Highland dancers.

Beverly


There are more ways of skinning a cat... :)

The gent I was taking a sneaky lesson from generally made army uniform kilts. Many 'day wear' kilts were in 16oz tartan, and for men. His view was that taking the excess out of the back weakened the weave, and these things got plenty of wear! They get dragged through all sorts, from Highland Games type events to parades in horizontal sleet... Dress tartan is much lighter (10oz, typically), and light enough that (on a fella at least!) there was no need to cut the back out of the pleats.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: More progress on the kilt
    ... Many 'day wear' kilts were in 16oz ... Dress tartan is much lighter, ... After the excess is cut from the pleats (from one inch above ...
    (alt.sewing)
  • Re: More progress on the kilt
    ... to a great uncle's WW I Black Watch kilt, ... ;-) I suspect the cutting of the hip pleats ... evolved for dancers into something a little more comfortable ... "Kiltmaker and award-winning educator Barbara Tewksbury has ...
    (alt.sewing)
  • Steeking & removing excess fabric in kilts
    ... There was a discussion of the word "steeking" from February, ... Sewing through something like 6 layers of cloth from the pleats, ... While we're on the topic of kilts, any tips on how to iron the thing? ... means it won't lay flat on the ironing board and makes it really hard ...
    (alt.sewing)