To all kiltmakers:

[Bryndian_Dhai]

I have a question for all the kiltmakers. I purchased tartan for a Great Kilt for my husband last year, as he insisted that was what he wanted. He did not take into effect that he is a considerably large man (he's a hair over 6' and wears a 52 waist pant), and subsequently finds the Great Kilt a pain to put on and uncomfortable to wear, which means he doesn't wear it often. I am having difficulty finding a kiltmaker who can sew the tartan into a traditional kilt, using the tartan we already own. We paid a great deal of money for the tartan and there is no reason we should not be able to use it.

Normally, I would simply contact the vendor from whom I ordered the tartan in the first place, but our experience with that vendor left a great deal to be desired and I have absolutely no wish to do any more business with them. Chalk it up to live and learn experience. But now I'm stuck looking for a kiltmaker to help me who is not going to be so prohibitively expensive that we can not afford to have it made. I know I get what I pay for, of course, and I fully expect to pay for the service, but I shouldn't have to pay for the tartan all over again.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to finding a reputable kiltmaker who can assist me? I would prefer a kiltmaker in the US (or at least on this continent, Canada would be fine as well), as that is where we reside, and shipping the tartan back to Scotland has it's own inherent risks. I appreciate all your help.

Thanks
Bryn

[bear]

Hi Bryn,
There are many kiltmakers but few who should be handling this quality of wool.
I'd get in touch with Kathy at http://www.kathyskilts.com/
or
MacIsaac Kiltmakers at
http://www.mackilts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

I've heard good things about both.

[RockyR]

Hi Bryn,
There are many kiltmakers but few who should be handling this quality of wool.
I'd get in touch with Kathy at http://www.kathyskilts.com/
or
MacIsaac Kiltmakers at
http://www.mackilts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

I've heard good things about both.

Bear, you just earned tons more respect from me and I am sure many others. I suspect you could do this for her if you had the time but again you send people elswhere for what you think is in their best interest. Of course others here who have known you longer already knew this about you. I really hope I can get one of your kilts someday.

And welcome to X Marks Bryn.. please stick around and get hubby on here!

[Jimmy Carbomb]

And Bear's CORRECT redirections goes double for me.

You're talking about some SERIOUS material, and need a serious kiltmaker. Kathy was my very first notion for the job as she is classically trained. Angus, here in eastern Pennsylvania is real good too, but takes about six months to do the job since he's THAT good and THAT busy.
http://www.kathyskilts.com

MacIsaac Kiltmakers was the second choice too. I know four guys with their kilts, and they're BEAUTIFUL... that's the kilts not the guys.
http://www.mackilts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

Linda Clifford is in Maine, and makes the kilts for the Loch Rannoch Pipe Band. I would suggest contacting her too, to see about your needs.
http://www.lindaclifford.com

Anything else would be a risk with that material. You're talking about a serious investment in the tartan, and you need a serious kiltmaker to handle the task. Also, the taper on this kilt will need to be precise due to your husband's "girth". If it's just sewn together... the pleats will pucker, the apron-tips will point out, and the hang will be awkward.

Let us know if there's ANYTHING else we can do to help you out!

[Mychael Sporrano]

Unless I missed this suggestion, how about finding a kiltmaker who is willing to sew permanent pleats into your pre existing great kilt? It would at least make it easier to put on though it doesn't really make the garment itself any more practical to wear.

I know that Chris from www.southerncelt.com offers such a product. He seems to have disappeared from this site and just now I was unable to access his site... Perhaps another kiltmaker here would be willing to assist in this capacity?

Another option is to have this tartan material fashioned into a large shawl and fly plaid [kind of a his-and-her thing] and have a traditional kilt made in a matching plaid. Just a thought.

Mychael

[Riverkilt]

I'd support the Kathy's Kilt suggestion. Just dealt with her ordering my clan tartan kilt. My waist is a 46" at the naval and we talked through how she was gonna work with that...I wear my non traditional kilts under my belly where I'm 42".

Point being, she didn't seem to miss a trick in figuring out the sizing.

The other thing about Kathy, besides her training in certifications from Scotland, is that she'll be the one actually hand sewing the kilt so there's no need to pass on the instructions.

You've a situation there that brings to mind the old adage, "you can measure a thousand times, but you can only cut once."

Ron

[Bryndian_Dhai]

I have a question for all the kiltmakers. I purchased tartan for a Great Kilt for my husband last year, as he insisted that was what he wanted. He did not take into effect that he is a considerably large man (he's a hair over 6' and wears a 52 waist pant), and subsequently finds the Great Kilt a pain to put on and uncomfortable to wear, which means he doesn't wear it often. I am having difficulty finding a kiltmaker who can sew the tartan into a traditional kilt, using the tartan we already own. We paid a great deal of money for the tartan and there is no reason we should not be able to use it.

Normally, I would simply contact the vendor from whom I ordered the tartan in the first place, but our experience with that vendor left a great deal to be desired and I have absolutely no wish to do any more business with them. Chalk it up to live and learn experience. But now I'm stuck looking for a kiltmaker to help me who is not going to be so prohibitively expensive that we can not afford to have it made. I know I get what I pay for, of course, and I fully expect to pay for the service, but I shouldn't have to pay for the tartan all over again.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to finding a reputable kiltmaker who can assist me? I would prefer a kiltmaker in the US (or at least on this continent, Canada would be fine as well), as that is where we reside, and shipping the tartan back to Scotland has it's own inherent risks. I appreciate all your help.

Thanks
Bryn

[bear]

Hi Bryn,
There are many kiltmakers but few who should be handling this quality of wool.
I'd get in touch with Kathy at http://www.kathyskilts.com/
or
MacIsaac Kiltmakers at
http://www.mackilts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

I've heard good things about both.

[Bryndian_Dhai]

Wow, y'all are absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions, I will be looking at contacting both recommended kiltmakers.

I checked out the sites for Bear and a couple others that are linked from here. He has expressed marked interest in a "non-traditional" kilt... Utilikilts was heavily represented this year at TRF and both my husband and his Irish best friend were fascinated. I think they'd BOTH start wearing kilts more often if they weren't always heavy wool. *grins* That's one of the down sides to being such a big man... all that wool, plus the semi-tropical climate of the South is a bad combination. So once I make this $800 investment worth my money, I will indeed be looking at kilts from one of the sites here.

I'm hoping to get him to come peruse the site... he's not comfortable typing, so he'd be a lurker of the first degree, but he's expressed interest, so perhaps you'll be welcoming him, too.

Thanks again
Bryn

[RockyR]

Hi Bryn,
There are many kiltmakers but few who should be handling this quality of wool.
I'd get in touch with Kathy at http://www.kathyskilts.com/
or
MacIsaac Kiltmakers at
http://www.mackilts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

I've heard good things about both.

Bear, you just earned tons more respect from me and I am sure many others. I suspect you could do this for her if you had the time but again you send people elswhere for what you think is in their best interest. Of course others here who have known you longer already knew this about you. I really hope I can get one of your kilts someday.

And welcome to X Marks Bryn.. please stick around and get hubby on here!