Sewing machine?

[TheBrus]

I'm toying with the idea of using a sewing machine to speed through the pleating process. Is this a bad idea? Will a standard sewing machine work? I've never used one before... any advice?

Brus

[Mickey]

I haven't mustered up the nads to make a kilt yet, but I can say that while I am not unfamiliar with a sewing machine (been using them for a couple of decades), I prefer hand stitching on most of what I do.

Machines require a lot of knowledge and skill in using them. They are faster at most things, but for quality, I like the control of hand sewing, even with the amount of time and effort required.

I'm just not good enough with a machine to try to attempt a kilt.

[Paul Henry]

For a traditional kilt, using a sewing machine is not easy,sewing the fell by hand allow little adjustments, and it is much eaiser to line up the tartan lines,also it is often easier to manage and hold the fabric on your lap or table than trying to feed it in to a machine.It is possible to make a traditional style kilt by machine, but I'd not suggest starting on that path.
When I am making modern/contemporary style kilts I use the machine a lot. but all the pleats are edge stitched and sewn together in layers, and as the fabric is often denim or heavy cotton, sewing by hand isn't really much of an option.
Having a sewing machine is very useful for some things, I normally attach the waistband on my traditional kilt with one, but that is about all, everything else is sewn by hand.
Machine stitching isn't better than hand stitching, often you need both, on any style of kilt.

[davidg]

Paulhenry is spot on. What I would add is that for "quickie" (read cheap) style kilts they are often sewn by machine on the outside of the fell. That is, the machine stitches show. I would not even attempt to sew invisibly inside the fell using a machine for exactly the same reasons given by paulhenry

In an industrial situation machines are often used to sew kilts but I have no idea how they manage to do this without problems. I hope to find out soon as I have been invited to view the Glenisla factory where all kilts, and they make a lot of them including for the Ministry of Defence, are machine made

Again I've no idea what other kilt makers do (I must read Barbara's book some time) but I slip stitch on the outside of the fell the way paulhenry describes and then hand sew inside using much tighter stitches. That way everything stays aligned. I don't think I would save any time machine sewing and may well take a lot longer because of the sheer weight of material (I only make 8 yarders, usually in heavyweight)

[The Wizard of BC]

Stitching a kilt by machine is a skill. Just as stitching a kilt by hand is a skill. It takes as much practice and natural ability to do either.

Machine stitches are inherently stronger than hand stitches. Hand stitches can be totally invisible.
A machine can do more stitches per minute. Hand stitches can result in better accuracy for most.

The time required to sew by machine is comparable to the time to sew by hand. If, and this is a big IF, you hold yourself to the same standard of pattern alignment, fit and finish in each case.

If you are considering buying a sewing machine please do your research. Look at the basics of the machine, not the fancy features. It is a fact that the vast majority of sewing machines made in the last 20 years were designed for occasional home use. They are designed and built for quilters and those ladies who wish to make a few clothes for their own use. If you buy a machine because it has 485 built in, computer controlled, fancy stitches you wasted your money.

A kilt is the most tailored garment next to a man's suit coat. The fabric alone may cost a couple of hundred dollars. Don't skimp on the sewing machine.

To sew a kilt you need only two stitches. A straight stitch and occasionally a zig-zag. But it is the thickness of the material that most home machines can't handle.

Sewing machine salemen will brag all day that their machine will sew right through four layers of leather.

But take into your salesman 8 yards of 16oz wool. Fold the fabric till you have 12 to 14 layers. Then ask them to sew a perfectly straight line and keep the Tartan pattern aligned to within one twill line. The average machine simply can't fit that much fabric under the pressure foot.

When it all comes down to it, kilt making is enjoyable and rewarding. But it is a skill that takes practice, patience and an inate natural ability. Hand and eye coordination for one.

Whether you choose to sew your kilt by hand or by machine should not be based on "which is easier" but on "how can I do the better job".

Unfortunatly sewing by machine is not going to, as you say in your post, "speed through the pleating process". Sorry.

[Tartan Tess]

If you are using real tartan don't even try it, especially if you have never done it. You will spend alot of time taking it out and might snag the tartan.
Even with cheap 'tartan' to practice on, it is so difficult to line up everything as stated already. I have read that if you "disengage" the feed dogs it helps. My machine is so old it doesn't do that so I always hand sew the pleats, even on quick "stunt" kilts.

[bonnie heather]

Sewing by hand is absolutely better for me. It's easier to line up the tartan pattern just right and I can sew tiny invisible stitches, as well as make small adustments if needed. It take about 10 minutes to do each row of stitching, but about half that time is used for the measuring, holding taut and pinning. I assume a certain amount of prep work is needed to machine sew each row. If there are any mistakes, I think machine stitches are more time consuming to remove and re-do.
As others have said, it's a time saver to machine sew the top band. But even for that, I like to hand sew the front apron portion, to get the tartan alignment just right.

[NeightRG]

Bonnie Heather makes a great point about mistakes - machine stitches are a pain to pull out, compared to hand stitches.
I use a machine as much as I can, and have gotten pretty good at keeping all my stripes lined up. But when I make a mistake... You can bet there's cursing.

[Alan H]

I make kilts entirely by machine...entirely by hand.. and combinations of both.

For something tedious, where the best hand stitching will never be noticed and strength counts, like putting on a waistband for example, for heavens sakes, use a machine. If you want your fell sewn with invisible stitches, then either figure out how Rocky does it, or hand-sew it.

On a contemporary kilt, especially a non-tartan one, I can't see why NOT to use a machine. If what you want is the full-on traditional gig, when buy Barb/Elsies book and settle down with needle and thread.

In terms of buying a machine, get something that's not all plastic, and only has three features A.) straight stitch with variable stitch length B.) Zig Zag with variable stitch length and width C.) and maybe a buttonhole feature... though you can make a perfectly good buttonhole being really careful and using a really tight zig-zag. Like Steve says, if it's got five hundred fancy-pants embroidery stitches and also makes a pretty good hamburger, you don't need it, and you're wasting your money.

I have made really solid contemporary camoflage and solid color kilts with my mothers 1940's vintage, straight-stitch-only black Singer. The thing is built like a tank. It's simple, it works.

[Alan H]

BTW, you CAN sew pleats "invisibly" with a sewing machine. I figured out how to do it on my California Tartan box-pleat kilt. I then went and did it on a PV tartan kilt. However, getting stuff to line up is a PITA and until I learned how to "cheat" and misalign everything just the right amount so the pull of the feed dogs would even out, I ripped out a LOT of stitches. I pinned a LOT.

Upshot was, I'm not sure I really saved all that much time. Bonnie can sew a pleat in 10 minutes. It take me 25 minutes, about 6 stitches to the inch, for 8 inches. I'd guess that I saved maybe 5 minutes per pleat when I finally figured out how to get the "invisible machine sewing" thing down. However, I spent a lot more than 25 minutes per pleat in the first ten, figuring the bloody thing out.

Or....you can do it SO much, like Rocky does, that you don't have to fuss with it any more, you just *know*.