Quote Originally Posted by The F-H.C.A.G. View Post
That's exactly what I am trying to do. Once I've done a few X-kilts and variants of X-Kilts, I'm going to buy the new edition of Barb's book and try my hand at a traditional kilt. Not that my life isn't already busy enough, but I need a very nit-picky sort of hobby to keep me sane (or is that insane?) .

Be well,
I have NO doubt that when you settle yourself down to it, after making a few machine-sewn kilts, your tartan ones will be very nice. Here's a suggestion. For the first hand-sewn, get some inexpensive wool, or even PV and make a kilt out of that. Fraser and Kirkbrights remnants site is a good source for tartans that are usually 10 ounce (a bit light, but OK) but are wool/poly blends. Your skirt that I've made is Fraser and Kirkbright wool/poly. For $40 you'll have a nice tartan to work on, and make that first hand-sewn. Once you've done one of those to Barbs Instructions...

then cut loose, drop a mint on the 13 ounce or 16 ounce stuff and take no prisoners.

another hint...never, ever, ever, ever put a white stripe right on the edge of a pleat. White thread ALWAYS shows unless you are beyond anal-retentive and do microscipically fine stitching. I just about murdered someone trying to get the stitching perfect on Piper Georges kilt, 'cause I aligned the tartan (pleated to sett) so that a white stripe showed up twice in each sett-repeat, right on a pleat edge. I used white thread.....NEVER again. I'd like to hear what w2f has to say about this issue...white stripes in dark tartans/white thread.


OK, well I take all that back if you're sewing up a dress tartan.