At Long, lo-o-o-o-ong, long...did I say "long"..last

[Alan H]

I am finishing up my MacNaughton, ancient kilt.

JHockin will remember when we ordered this stuff. It was at least four years ago. I've made several other kilts since then, but just never really got any momentum going on this one. I'm doing it pretty much "by the book" with *very* few "shortcuts".....aka machine-stitching. The thing has sat in it's bag for months at a time, but when the Luminous Joan was in surgery for her hip this past Spring, I was sitting in the waiting room for 5 hours. I essentially finished up the pleatin during that time and that got me "going" again. Sort of.. Last week I finished the last three pleats....31 of them.

This morning I finished the reverse pleat, and trimmed off the excess for the under-apron and finished that edge. I turned up a bit of hem at the lower corner of the under-apron and stitched it. I finished the right-hand edge of the over-apron and slipped in a second layer of tartan, which is now fringed, so the kilt will have a subtle double-fringe.

Still to do...

cut out the pleats
steeking
make the fell stabilizing strip and sew it in

hair canvas under the upper 1/3 rd of the over apron.

Load-bearing waistband strip
waistband
buckles, straps and leather.

pressing

I've sworn to myself that I WILL wear this kilt to Burns Night. That's a long 'ways out, but I WILL NOT SLACK OFF. I'm going to use this DIY thread as a motivator. If more than a week goes by and I don't update it, it's up to you guys to mercilessly harrass me until I get back TO it.

Besides, when this is done, I have a kilt skirt to make for Bethany and a kilt to make for Garrett,and I really want to get these done before Burns Night, as well.

There will be one last Alan H Peacock Picture Post when this is done. It will feature the J. Higgins jacket and waistcoat, some absolutely KILLER hose that Mrs. Farlander is knitting for me, my nifty new hunting sporran which I am antique'ing the cantle (much too " chrome-ey) and this kilt.

[auld argonian]

Bravo on your perseverance! Look forward to seeing photos. You're a better man than I am...I've got Barb's book and a bundle of the old Fraser and Kirkbright Xmarks tartan sitting in a dresser drawer and I have to admit that I have thought many times about just farming the work out...

Best

AA

[Thomas H]

Awesome ! looking forward to seeing all that . I know you would not let us down .

[Aspiringloser]

So, like, how 'bout some work in progress pics?

[TheOfficialBren]

Excellent, Alan! I look forward to seeing your kilt.

Best wishes to your wife's health. I hope her recovery is swift.

[usonian]

I know how projects can stall... and how easy they are to put off if the deadline is still several months away. I started my first "practice" kilt last December and didn't finish it until the end of April. And now I have some tartan that's been waiting to be turned into a box-pleated kilt since July.

Still, it sounds like you're on track to have that finished by January! And as they say... progress photos or it didn't happen.

-A

[MacMillans son]

If more than a week goes by and I don't update it, it's up to you guys to mercilessly harrass me until I get back TO it.

Is it possible for me to get a waiver? I'd like to mercilessly harass you regardless of your progress on the kilt.

[Alan H]

Is it possible for me to get a waiver? I'd like to mercilessly harass you regardless of your progress on the kilt.

gopher it. I need some motivation!!!


Actually, this morning I cut out, trimmed, zig-zagged the edges of (so it won't fray) and installed the hair canvas that goes under the over-apron. This is a very short little project, but I didn't have much time and I did SOMETHING, which is better than doing nothing.

I need to go to Joannes and get some actual canvas for the fell-reinforcing strip.

[David Thorpe]

Vogue Fabrics online has Tailor's Pride hair canvas for around $9 US/yard. Got it within a week of my online order.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product. I have a USA Semi-trad in MacNaughten Muted, my wife's clan tartan. It gets lots of raves. Like to see how it compares to the Ancient.

[Alan H]

Vogue Fabrics online has Tailor's Pride hair canvas for around $9 US/yard. Got it within a week of my online order.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product. I have a USA Semi-trad in MacNaughten Muted, my wife's clan tartan. It gets lots of raves. Like to see how it compares to the Ancient.

The Marton Mills PV muted MacNaughton is a very small sett. Actually, that's not true, because if you look closely at the sett, you'll discover that it's not based around the thin stripes. You must proceed through two of those to find the axis where the sett repeats. So the sett is actually twice as big as it seems.

On this stuff from Fraser and Kirkbright, the "apparent" sett....meaning the space between the thin stripes is fairly large, like the size of a "normal" sett. So the actual sett is HUGE....like 10 inches. That precluded me from pleating the kilt to sett, though I could have cleverly pleated it to half-sett and working in the reversal of the stripes. That would have required rather more cleverness than I'm capable of so I pleated to stripe, half-sett. This works out just fine and I think it looks look....looks like a regimental kilt. It also means that I have a bit left over, perhaps the Luminous Joan will get a skirt (ha! fat chance) or someday I'll make myself a vest or something.

The Ancient color scheme is rather more orange, as opposed to the brick red of the muted, and the "true" red of the modern.

I will be making a 6-yard PV MacNaughton kilt, probably late this winter, as my current one has shrunk...ha!.... and I want one to throw in, for next summers Scotland trip.