My planned project - and some questions

[Tobus]

I have long been planning to do this project, but I'm just finally getting all the pieces in place. It's not a kilt or kilt accessory, but it's "kilt adjacent".

My plan is to make a patchwork/quilted blanket from tartan remnants received from Barb Tewksbury a while back. Originally I wanted to only use military-associated tartans in the blanket, but I don't have quite enough for the size I'm making. So there will be some other tartan in it that looks similar to military tartans. But the overall theme of the quilt will be reflective of a MOD-style kilt.

The blanket will be made to fit our double-size Edwardian bed. It will have 9-inch squares of tartan, separated by 2-inch "sashing" borders made from an olive green or khaki woollen (18oz) broadcloth, similar to military field jacket material. The blanket edge will be bound with 7/8-inch green wool twill tape, folded over like the top band of a military kilt. So the top layer of the blanket will be wool, I will use cotton batting as an intermediate insulating layer, and the bottom will be a lightweight wool tartan from my remnants. I have the block pattern mostly planned out, and am in the process of gathering up all the bits and bobs I'll need, like the right coloured thread.

Here's the bottom layer, a very soft flannel-like lightweight tartan material in Dress Gordon. Surprisingly, Barb sent me 4 yards of the stuff.



After hand-stitching a bunch of masks, I finally decided to put the work into getting my 1898 Singer model 27 treadle sewing machine running. It sat idle for a few decades in someone's shed until I bought it last year. It needs cleaning, oiling, a new treadle belt, and probably some adjustments, but it seems to be fully operational and has a box full of accessories. At 122 years of age, the decals are very worn and the wood has some water damage, but I just want it to be functional. Hopefully, I'll have this "iron lady" operational by this weekend.



So, on to my questions:

For those of you who machine-sew kilts and tartan garments, what weight/size thread should I be using to go through these multiple layers of wool plus batting? I'm assuming standard thread that's used for thin cotton sewing isn't going to do. It's been a long time since I've sewn anything on a machine, so I'll be practicing on some other scraps first and getting my stitch length and tension just right.

For those of you who make quilted blankets, got any advice on construction? I've never made a quilt before, and intend to just put my blocks together with sashing strips, then assemble the rows. In final assembly, I plan to top-stitch just inside the sashing (about 1/8" inside the sash material so it goes through the seam allowance that's turned to the sash side).

I'm not real sure how to get the edge binding put on neatly with hidden stitches like my MOD kilt has. I'm sure this is a common kiltmaker skill, but how does one do it?

Is anyone here experienced with antique Singer treadle machines? I've got manuals and and engineering background, but real-world experience/advice could help if I run into issues.