Hair canvas or similar interfacing in EU?

[Octobrachium]

Hello everybody,

I am currently gathering the materials required to make a kilt with the help of The Art of Kiltmaking (out of Scottish Wildcat tartan from the recent order!). However, as yet I have not found either

- a supplier or store for hair canvas interfacing in the continental Europe who is not trying to sell a whole bolt of cloth for around 100 Euros;
- a reasonable non-fusible alternative I can get in Germany (everything here so far is fusible).

I have read the various threads on here that mention hair canvas, and I could order the Hymo from the US or this one from the UK, but only for shipping costs that are multiple of what the actual cloth costs (8 GBP cloth, 24 GBP shipping).

Can anyone recommend an alternative, or maybe give me a better idea of what I am actually looking for in cloth weight & stiffness?

Thanks!

[Michael the Bavarian]

Hello everybody,

I am currently gathering the materials required to make a kilt with the help of The Art of Kiltmaking (out of Scottish Wildcat tartan from the recent order!). However, as yet I have not found either

- a supplier or store for hair canvas interfacing in the continental Europe who is not trying to sell a whole bolt of cloth for around 100 Euros;
- a reasonable non-fusible alternative I can get in Germany (everything here so far is fusible).

I have read the various threads on here that mention hair canvas, and I could order the Hymo from the US or this one from the UK, but only for shipping costs that are multiple of what the actual cloth costs (8 GBP cloth, 24 GBP shipping).

Can anyone recommend an alternative, or maybe give me a better idea of what I am actually looking for in cloth weight & stiffness?

Thanks!

Hello Octobrachium,

as you live in Germany as well you might consider using canvas (or in German: Rosshaareinlage) as an interlining for your kilt. This particular fabric consists of several fibers, among them goat, normally it is used as an interlining for Sports Jackets (in German: Sakkos) for men. It gives the garment a stiffer and more masculine appearance. Sometimes taylors for who make womens' garments use this too e.g. Vivienne Westwood.I have used this as an interlining for the Kilts I have made and it works quite well. In Munich their is a store where you can buy Rosshaareinlage. You can send me a message if you want further Information.

Servus from Munich
Michael

[Finistere]

Salut, There is a Kilt maker in Hamburg, called Donald Mackenzie, he might help you with the interfacing, I have no experience with this maker, the one I use here in France is Lady Chrystel, she may help you too, just a couple of thoughts. Salut

[Steve Ashton]

One possible source for the non-fusible interfacing (hair canvas/chest interfacing) is -

https://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/...se-hair-canvas

And another -

https://www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk/wb8284-hair-canvas

[Octobrachium]

Thanks, all, especially Michael! This helps a lot. Will update on the actual kilt construction once I get going!

[Steve Ashton]

Remember that the reason we use hair canvas/chest interfacing is to impart some vertical stiffness to the kilt. Hair Canvas is stiffer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal.

The horizontal strength is imparted by the Stabilizer.

Please, please avoid fusible or iron-in interfacings at all cost as they have a bad tendency to "telegraph" through the fabric and show a wrinkles. The glue of fusible WILL come loose and render the whole thing useless.

[Barb T]

Hi Octobrachium,

Sorry to be late to the party. I agree totally with what Steve's said. Also, if you are out of luck with trying to find something like heavy weight Hymo, let me know. I'm going to be in Zurich in December, and I could bring some with me and mail it to you from there. Send me a PM if you want to do this!

And glad you're using the book!

Barb

[kilted Mnementh]

If you're still looking, I found this Horse Hair Canvass on the dreaded eBay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pure-Hors...nfWHQ#shpCntId
Also this Wool and Horse Hair https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PURE-WOOL...8AAOSwtvpa1y4J

[Barb T]

And if you're still looking, our daughter and her family are stranded here with us in the US until they can travel back to Switzerland safely. I don't know when that will be, but I can send some canvas back with her to Zürich when they do go, and she can mail it to you from there. I can send you a PayPal invoice. Just PM me if you're interested.