Is this fabric useable?

[arnoldus]

I'm looking around for cheap PV tartan. My idea is to have some to make a great kilt/belted plaid first, and in a later stage an X-kilt or normal kilt (first one on cheap cotton as practice, and then on cheap tartan as practice).

I found this German supplier who is (with shipping) less than half the price of House of Tartan: there are only 2 fabrics, royal stewart and one I don't recognize, I'm not even sure it is a real/pleatable tartan.





https://tolkostoffe.de/product_info....a3d6e9e8eadb7a

Do these look useable for my purposes? Not that 37 euro for 5 meter + shipping is a whole lot of money, but I'd rather not waste it.

[Pleater]

I found the description of the blue/green fabric and it seems to indicate that it is a 10 oz weight, which is rather light for what you have in mind. It also looks to be finely woven stuff.

For a great kilt I would recommend looking for something a bit thicker, perhaps a wool/man made blend which might not be much heavier but hopefully would be woven from thicker strands and look more substantial. I don't mean something that looks like a blanket, just a fabric which appears heftier than those pictured.

Kilts are made from 10 oz fabrics, but it is usually regarded as lightweight and used by dancers.

I am concerned that by using fabric which is not apt you will be put off wearing your creations.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[arnoldus]

Thanks.
I gather that the PV fabrics from House of Tartan (375g/m = 12oz/yard) suffer from the same drawbacks?

(btw, the german fabric is 350g/m= 11.4oz/yard)

[Pleater]

Thanks.
I gather that the PV fabrics from House of Tartan (375g/m = 12oz/yard) suffer from the same drawbacks?

(btw, the german fabric is 350g/m= 11.4oz/yard)

I was taking into account that it was 60 inches wide as opposed to the 54 inches of the standard wool, and also thought that it might be grams per metre....

OK

I admit it.

I guessed.

Not a bad guess though, really.

Having recently begun to work with the real stuff, worsted wool named tartan in heavy weights, it really is a lot easier to work with than any other fabric I have used to make kilts.

I have had a similar experience in the past when I found some proper heavy linen to make a smock rather than the cotton and polycottons I had been working with.

The reason for some ways of doing things suddenly becomes obvious as it is how the fabric works best.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[ChattanCat]

I think making a practice kilt is a great idea. You will probably be able to wear it, at least until you make yourself a 16 oz wool kilt (a real tank). PV will work well as it will hold a crease and your pleats will look good even after wearing it. As was stated, 10 oz material is light weight and the apron will fly easily. I even had problems with the apron and underapron not sliding apart when I sat down but that was because the material was not worsted and had a softer finish.

12 - 13 oz and 16 oz worsted wool material works great for kilts and you should consider the mills in Scotland for the material.

The PV material looks to have a smallish sett of about 4-5 inches. The pleats will have a small reveal and you might want to double the sett for each pleat to give you more material in each pleat.

Good luck,