A while back I made a kilt for a friend, taking a really fine belt in trade. The kilt was constructed from a non-worsted plaid with a fairly small asymmetric sett and pleated to the stripe. But which stripe? Here were the choices - muted gold, muted red, both gold and red, or black (neither stripe):



The muted gold, an earth tone, was chosen because the kilt is the foundation for a costume depicting an early-1800's character on the American frontier. The pleats were bulky enough, but because the fabric was fairly lightweight, I double-layered the apron. So, here's Big John during the final fitting:



Pictured below, he is dressed as he will be this weekend. (Hey, I only made the kilt - I didn't dress him up!) He is supposed to represent a not-so-well-off Scottish immigrant making his living as best he can in a new land. (See! A costume showing a kilt as everyday wear.) The retrofitted leather vest with the watch fob chain is nice. What can one say about the top hat? The light colored plainsman moccasins don't provide the color balance that the dark hose provided at the fitting. (Remember, he's new to all this. Neither is he on XMarksTheScot... yet.)





I'm pretty sure he has that "butterflies in the stomach" feeling that comes when one ventures into public for the very first time wearing a kilt. Perhaps there will be a few pictures in a couple days.

Here's to having fun while kilted!