Hello all,
While not a professional kiltmaker, I certainly seem to find myself making them on a regular basis. Shawn (thatcelticband) just retained me to make his father a kilt using the Maclean of Duart tartan mentioned in several threads here on XMTS.

Anyhoo, I really prefer to do my work on a table top. I know how to follow Barb's excellent "crossed knees" technique, and will do that when I sew "on the road" as it were, but here at home I like to keep the fabric on the table where I can bring the light and my reading glasses to bear more comfortably. Barb mentions in The Book that some folks use a clamp system to provide tension while stitching the pleats, so I decided to invent a clamp system for myself.

I got the ratchet-action clamp at Home Depot for $3. Drilled holes in the handles and secured some nylon utility cord with stop knots. The cord has a loop tied in the center to attach the second piece of cord, which I tie to the table legs. When you hit the release of this clamp it springs open full width, about 9", which is a nuisance, thus the short cord between the handles to limit the opening to about 2".

Here it is in use. (purists, please pardon the pins!). By pinching the fabric with the left hand and pulling against the clamp you can easily tension the cloth for accurate and consistent stitching. I'm well along on this kilt right now and haven't had to remove a single pleat stitch yet. I love this system!

Important notes: the clamp has soft plastic non-marking jaws that swivel so that they meet flat. I wouldn't recommend using a run-of-the-mill clamp that is nothing more than a big clothes pin...the jaws usually meet edge to edge and that might be tough on the fabric.