Hemming and other minor damage

**AndrasMacKay** · 14th October 12, 06:44 PM

Hello all!
I was laying out my plaidie at a friend's house and her cat's loved it so much they could not stay off of it, and may be the source of the damage.
There is a 'run', I think it's called, up the length of my front apron. Any ideas how to get that out?
ALSO, when I got the 4 yards of fabric all edges weren't hemmed but the bottom edge. I feel like I should get them all hemmed to prevent any further pulls or 'runs' in the fabric. Any ideas who, where or how I could go about doing this?
It was quite expensive and I'd like to keep it nice as long as possible.

Slainte!

**Chas** · 18th October 12, 10:21 AM

Andras - we need pictures. I can't be alone in wondering what we are actually talking about. Is it a great kilt or the small kilt or I don't know.

Information is required - and lots of it.

Regards

Chas

**AndrasMacKay** · 20th October 12, 12:10 PM

Haha, I had no idea I was being so vague...
Thanks Chas, for bringing that to my attention.
By plaidie I'm talking about a traditional Great Kilt, spread out on the floor and hand-pleated.

If you look closely, you may see a line running horizontally thru the image, I believe that's called a run (and yes I did ask my grandmother for proper terminology). It runs nearly, if not all the way up the fabric. Any suggestions on how to fix it? Anyone I could take it to? Maybe Fields Fabrics... (dunno if they have those in England)

When I ordered my kilt it came hemmed only on the bottom edge. The three other edges are left unhemmed. I'm wondering if this will pose as a problem, and a contributing factor to the 'run' in the fabric.
Any advice will be thoroughly appreciated.

**Paul Henry** · 21st October 12, 03:36 AM

A "run" in fabric is where a thread has been pulled and leaves a gap in the weave. sometimes you will see a loop of thread which often can ne eased back gently along the fabric, but if the thread is no longer there , then , it's very difficult to fix it, and I suggest that you have to accept it. it looks like it has been fringed on the sides, and perhaps one of those threads got pulled .
I wouldn't hem the other sides, it will spoil the drape , and also make it narrower and also need a double (folded zig-zag)sort of hem if you wanted to keep the fringe.
The Great kilt was an everyday garment, and not anything special in many ways so I would except to see a few runs or even tears as part of normal use- sorry that's probabaly not what you wanted to hear.

**Chas** · 21st October 12, 05:24 AM

I am glad Paul has posted - he is far more knowledgeable on these matters than I could ever hope to be.

Having said that, three little thoughts did come to me -

Not all whites are white. Is it possible that the colour is (subtly) different?
Is the thread a different material? Polyester or silk, rather than wool?
Is the thread a different weight? Say 16oz, rather than 13oz?

That's it - I have no more.

Regards

Chas

**Riverkilt** · 21st October 12, 09:19 AM

You don't say where in Michigan you are, but if you're in or near a town large enough to have a dry cleaners - AND - are still wanting the hem. Check with the local dry cleaners, they often have ladies who repair things on staff, or they can refer you to one.

Did that when a needed hem came apart on a Utilikilt. Lady at the dry cleaner's sewed it back on for me for about $5. Just took a few minutes.

Whether to or not is your call. Just sayin' if you need repairs dry cleaners may have someone to do it.

**Kilted cabin boy** · 21st October 12, 12:35 PM

I believe a cat hair sporran is in order.

**AndrasMacKay** · 21st October 12, 05:34 PM

Paulhenry:
I appreciate the knowledge you've shared with me. If I do end up hemming it, I don't necessarily think I'd need to keep the fringe... I was just thinking it might help prevent any further damage. I'm guessing the original great kilts weren't hemmed?
The runs, or whatever they are, don't really bother me that much, just as long as it doesn't worsen drastically.

Thanks again for the input chas!
I was looking closer at it and noticed another line about two inches next to the first running parallel. I wonder if it was just a manufacturing error...

Thank you Riverkilt! Even if I don't end up hemming my kilt, that's very useful information; I've a pair of slacks that have been unhemmed in one leg and I never had the nerve to make my grandma fix it for me...

Kilted cabin boy:
Pretty funny. I don't think that would fly with the owner.

**Paul Henry** · 21st October 12, 11:39 PM

Andras, something I do with my standard tartan scarves is to make a line of very fine machine stitching along the edge of the fringe, this seems to stop any further unraveling, and doesn't add to the weight on the edges, if you look carefully you can see the stitching on the edges but it's almost invisible most of the time

**The Wizard of BC** · 22nd October 12, 01:04 AM

Sir,

Looking at your first photos what I see in not a run. I am seeing one yarn that is thicker than the rest. This does sometimes happen in weaving.

Yes, it is a flaw in the fabric. but does not weaken the fabric and should not shorten the fabrics' lifespan. It is unsightly to our eyes though.

We seem to expect perfection with today's weaving but at the same time revere the older, hand woven fabrics where flaws like this, along with floats and slubs, were common.

This type of flaw is far less common today, than even 50 years ago. In days past it was the practice to mark such flaws in the fabric with a string of a contrasting color knotted into the selvedge edge of the fabric. This would alert the cutter to where the flaws were so he could plan his cuts around the flaws. When fine tailors went to buy fabric, to insure that what they were buying would not contain these little surprises, they would specify fabric "With no strings attached".