Hi Barb T..
Thanks for your reply. I am slowly evolving my expectations and am going to try my best to make a precise kilt. The first step was to get help by signing up for Elsie's Kilt Boot Camp. The second step was to listen to Elsie, and buy 4 yards of doublewide high-quality tartan cloth from Strathmore so I wouldn't self-defeat my chances of producing a good kilt. Third, I have been practicing with a needle, hand sewing a cape out of some low-quality tartan fabric. I am finding out where I am likely to stick myself so I can be ready for Camp. I seem to stick myself in the oddest places that thimbles don't protect, but I figured a roll of moleskin would take care of a lot of that.

I found the supply list in your book and I am checking with others to find out if there are any other suggestions to make my first kilting experience a good one. If you have any additional suggestions, please pass them along.

I wanted to know which kind of leather thimble you recommend, as I have seen numerous styles and have no idea which is most appropriate for kilt making. I usually avoid hand sewing whenever possible, so I am a little worried about sore fingers and poor quality. As a person who has done machine sewing for 50 years, I don't quilt because it seemed tedious to me and I hated fussing over the corners of the pieces matching, so I have a lot to learn. I have a lot of patience in other aspects of my life, so now will be my time to learn patience and precision with sewing. It should be a good challenge for me.

I am glad you wrote a book on the precise way to make a kilt. It will give me a standard for which to strive. Thanks for your advice.