How to attach the Newsome-style left-hand strap?

[Alan H]

I'm lying awake nights, finishing off the "MacWerner Watch" kilt in my mind (while I slowly stitch pleats during the day). I've gotten to the point where I attach the left-hand buckle to the front apron and the strap to the rear pleat stabilizer/canvas, a la Matt Newsome's style shown here.

Do you just take a lot of care that, while firmly stitching the strap to the canvas, none of your stitches catch on the outermost layer of wool?

Yes, that's exactly what I do.

The only buckle/strap set I've purchased for kiltmaking had kind of an X-pattern of holes in the leather (for stitching through). I'm thinking it would be better to have holes all around the far (non-buckling) end of the leather strap, and do a lot of whip-stitching around all three sides of that end.

I've bought buckles and straps from Stillwater kilts and they were fine, but what I did a while ago was buy some tanned leather....basically a belt blank, and some black leather dye and buckles from Tandy Leather. They sell online, but I'm lucky in that there's a store not too far away from me.

I use a razor blade/box cutter and a straightedge to cut out the strap to the width I want, and then a handheld rotating-head leather punch to punch the buckle tang holes. Then I cut the leading edge of the belt in a "v" shape to make it easier to thread through the buckle. Then I put the leather punch on the next-to-the-smallest hole setting and put

about 8 small holes, about 1/4 inch apart, all around the bottom inch or so of the strap. I use those holes to hand-sew....with black carpet thread, not "regular" thread.... the strap through as many layers of the kilt, just under the waistband as I can without having stitches show on the outside. The thread goes through the holes in the leather, instead of my trying to drive the needle through the leather. The carpet thread is pretty heavy-duty, and so far I've never worn out or pulled out a strap. BAsically, the strap is sewn to every layer in the kilt at that point....overlapping pleats, liner, whatever, except the very outermost layer of tartan.

Any insight or tips to be shared here?

Hope that helps!