Repair of a 60-year-0ld kilt

[Firth Fabend]

Good morning. I'm new to the list. I had a kilt (Armstrong) made for me in 1960 at the Scotch House in London. I wear it every winter during Advent and Christmas. It needs some work. It needs to be let out a little. The fabric where the buckle is attached is wearing through. And there are three small moth holes in the front. Can you tell me the best approach to repairing this beloved kilt? I want to wear it another ten years (till I'm 90), and then leave it to my daughter, now 50.

[Tarheel]

Well met new member. Too many years ago my grandmothers taught us (male grandkids) to darn all our clothes (from socks to sweaters). Those methods would take care of the moth holes and the stretching where the buckles are. I still have a collection of tiny-hooked needles and swatches of cloth that can be used as patches. Some folks call a collection like mine hoarding, especially if those things aren't used often.

Other members will help you with adjusting the size of your kilt. Suggestions of professional help from a tailor is the route many will go and may be the best for you if time and ability hinders you.

Glad to have you with us and would enjoy seeing your kilt.

[The Wizard of BC]

Would you kindly do us a favor.

Please take and post some photos so we can see what is going on and better advise you on how to proceed.

In some cases of older kilts that have shrunk in the closet over the years, there is very little hope of letting the kilt out.
You see, a tradition kilt is not made like modern clothing. It is a throw back to an older way of making clothing.

Inside the kilt is a liner. Many people assume that the liner is there to keep the kilt clean or to allow the kilt to slide around on slippery fabric. This is actually not the reason that a liner is built into a kilt.

The liner is there to cover up and hide the internal construction of the garment. In the back tapered area the pleats are often cut away so the back of the garment is less bulky and thinner. This cutting away of the material leaves very little fabric behind. To un-stitch each of the pleats and increase their individual size there simple is no fabric left to sew to.

Also, a kilt will have other internal construction elements like floating interfacing.
Re-sizing a kilt will often require the same amount of time and talent as is needed to make a new one.

Re-sizing a kilt to makeit smaller is usually easier to accomplish than making one larger. Making a kilt smaller is uaually not a problem as we can move the straps and buckles. The over apron will then reach further around and if pleated to stripe, most people will never be able to tell. If pleated to Sett the patter will no longer be centered but again, most people will not notice. Or care.

The same technique of moving straps to make a kilt larger will usually cause the under-apron to be exposed. An inch or two of under-apron peaking out is usually not too big a problem as it looks like another pleat. But more than an inch or two and it quickly becomes very evident that the kilt is too small.

Some pictures of how your kilt fits will go a long way to allowing us to evaluate the garment and better advise you.

[Firth Fabend]

Thank you for the advice! I will try to get some pix tomorrow to post. But my kilt is not lined. I have a scarf and a couch throw in the armstrong tartan and could probably sneak some patch material from either of those. I learned how to darn in the girl scouts long ago and still remember.

[The Wizard of BC]

Ah, OK. As your garment does not have a liner, is it possible that what you have is a ladies Tartan pleated skirt, and not a kilt?
It is quite common to call any skirt like garment, made from Tartan, a kilt. But in fact the two are constructed differently.

If you have a ladies skirt, your alteration may be much easier.

Awaiting the pictures.

[Tarheel]

One point of darning I learned, is twist the new yarn to match the older material while filling the gap. Loose twisting will let you fill the gap or tighten the new thread to match a smaller space. Good luck with the task.

[Firth Fabend]

Yes! I guess what I had made for me in 1960 was a "ladies tartan skirt." So advice about how to alter it to make it an inch or two larger and at the same time mend the place where the buckle has pulled the fabric apart is welcome! Happy New Year!

[The Wizard of BC]

You have a skirt. That is made with the methods used to make skirts and dresses. Perhaps a visit to your local dressmaker or alteration shop would be less expensive than a kiltmaker.

I'm sorry and I know that this comes across sounding a bit harsh. But it is honest and the truth. A kiltmaker does not make skirts or dresses. The tecniques are quite a bit different.

A bicycle and a car will both get you down the road. But you would probably not take your bike to an auto repair shop. The auto repair folks may be great mechanics but their training, tools and hourly labor rate will be different than a person set up to repair bicycles.

[Firth Fabend]

Thanks, Steve! Not harsh at all! I'm a lady. I wear skirts! I am taking my treasure to the tailor today. I'm sure they'll be able to make the adjustments.
Happy New Year!
Firth Fabend