question for custom kiltmakers

[ForresterModern]

I am interested in getting a custom hand made kilt in the Dutch Friendship Tartan in order to honor my wife and her family, who are of pure Dutch American heritage. The tartan is only available online from their own specific website in Dutch , but I have gathered that they have 10, 13, and 16 oz weights in double width at 140cm with a kilting selvedge and a sett of a wee bit over 5 inches if I remember correctly. My questions is, is this width fabric wide enough to be able to make my custom 46 waist-48hips-26 length kilt if I buy 4 meters for an 8yd kilt? How much more should I buy if I want to have a fly plaid made as well? And can any of the custom kiltmakers get the fabric any cheaper that it is listed for on the website, or would I be better off just ordering it myself and sending it off to you to have it made up and just pay the building fee? To order the kilt directly from the website in 16 oz would cost over $800 plus shipping and customs.

[Barb T]

I made a Dutch Friendship tartan kilt for Canuck (http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/m...tch+friendship), and he would be the one to talk to about prying loose a piece of DFT. You should PM him!

And, no, because your hips are 48", you would want a 9 yard kilt, which would require buying 4.5 yards double width. And a fly plaid takes another 1.5 yards double width.

[ForresterModern]

Thanks Barb. I have already been in contact with Cannuck about the tartan for another reason. From his report he has the only DFT kilt in North America (that must be your work), and his getting the tartan was not an especially easy task either, despite having actually met the designer at some point.

Since the tartan is sold in meters (one meter =1.1 yards) would 4 meters be enough for the kilt (4.4yards) or would I have to go up to 5 meters just for the extra couple inches to get the whole nine yards? Also, I guess my bigger concern is the double width fabric only being 140 cm wide (slightly over 55 inches wide double width and 27.5 inches in single width after splitting the piece) and my needs for an overall kilt length of 26 inches.

If I decide to do it I will just have my non-dutch-speaking dutch wife get one of her dutch-speaking family members to work me through the language barrier at their website and order the tartan directly myself.

Thanks again Barb.

fm

[SteveB]

FM,
I am NOT a professional kiltmaker. I do sew and have made three kilts for myself. 4 metres is not a wise investment. In an ideal world the fabric would be cut perfectly square, in the real world it is not. I realize that the tartan is quite dear (expensive). For 6 metres you get a well made kilt and a well made fly plaid. There also needs to be some wiggle room to make the tartan line up where the splice is sewn so that the pleats look right, especially if it is to the sett. This is my two cents worth, as I have sewn two tartan kilts for myself using Barb's book.

[Barb T]

Since the tartan is sold in meters (one meter =1.1 yards) would 4 meters be enough for the kilt (4.4yards) or would I have to go up to 5 meters just for the extra couple inches to get the whole nine yards? Also, I guess my bigger concern is the double width fabric only being 140 cm wide (slightly over 55 inches wide double width and 27.5 inches in single width after splitting the piece) and my needs for an overall kilt length of 26 inches.

You can actually make a kilt using however much tartan you have, so 4 meters would work. You might just have to have somewhat larger pleats. And, if you decided to pleat to the stripe (as I did Canuck's), you're probably just fine with 4 meters (you can get more pleats in a given length of fabric if the kilt is pleated to the stripe). If it saves you having to hassle with the web site, definitely go with 4 meters.

Yes, 140 cm should be wide enough. The only wrinkle may be that the kiltmaker may not be able to make the top band match the tartan in the apron. But, it will be hidden by your belt anyway.

And - BTW - a kilt 26" overall is a _really_ long kilt. Are you really tall?

[Galician]

He mentions in another post that he is 6'5" which in my book is pretty tall.

[ForresterModern]

Yup, 6'5" with a pretty long torso, 270 pounds and built like a bowling pin. Three other tanks built for me so far and all are 26's, which in my book are just about perfect. But thanks for noticing.

[Big Mikey]

My MacGregor tank is 26" and I'm 6'2" with a long body and short legs. What my kiltmaker did was put on a black waistband as he did not have enough tartan to use.



It does draw some questions but nothing but positive comments.

[Carolina Kiltman]

I am 6'4 1/2" (195 cm), but my inseam is 35" (89 cm) and my kilt is 25" (64 cm) and is a perfect fit, so if you are somewhat longer in the body than I am, then 26" (66 cm) sounds about right.

[ForresterModern]

6'5" and 270 pounds, with four kilts all built to 26 inch overall lengths which I think fit about right. For pictures see my thread with my pictures from my recent Scotland trip

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=38239