Fabric sources, types for practice

[jb88ci]

Hi All,

Any leads on deep discount worsted wool in kilt weights? I'd hate to buy my dream tartan at 100 bucks a yard and mess it up, would prefer to make a couple kilts for fun, education, experience and knowledge first.

John

[David Thorpe]

A "hundred bucks a yard" is roughly twice the price of fine quality tartan, unless you are having something custom woven. You can do a traditional 8-yard kilt with 4 yards (meters) of double-width tartan for around $250 US.
The labor involved is worth about that same figure - a huge investment to put into cheap material.
Invest first in The Art of Kilt Making (if you haven't already). Barb and Elsie assume no prior expertise, and take you step by step through the process. Many people have done a fine first kilt using the book's instructions.
One more point... Don't be intimidated by needing to match lines in tartan. Many people find it easier to sew kilts from tartan than from pattern-less fabric. Those lines which must be matched provide guidelines for aligning pleats.
Dive in, the water's fine!

[jb88ci]

Thank you for the quick response. I do have a copy of the Art of Kilt Making, the addendum for box pleated kilts and the X Kilt book. I can machine sew, hand sew and iron on some real good seams.

Sadly, I'm not a MacDonald or a Campbell. I'm a military man and a piper, my 'dream' tartan would be a very nice RCAF kilt, not the rags I've been able to scrounge to wear to represent the RCAF and her majesty (a travesty). I'm sadly an airmen on an army base where we are not recognized as existing by the garrison or by the air force. I also have a artan I designed myself, the Tac Hel tartan...for tactical aviators everywhere....both of which according to the mills, run about 100 bucks a yard for decent weight.

Which is why I'm looking for comparable fabric or on sale worsted wool to mess with first.

[The Wizard of BC]

The RCAF Tartan ITI#1343 is readily available in full 16oz weight and costs quite a bit less per yard, double width, than $100.00. I recently made an RCAF Tartan kilt and an RAF Tartan kilt just this month.

I would strongly suggest that you go ahead and get your dream fabric. Good, kilt quality wool, is a dream to work with. You can crease it, steam it out and re-crease multiple times.

And when it comes to stitching there is no practice fabric that can match it. It is actually easier to learn on good fabric than it is to spend even a couple of dollars on practice fabric.

As a kilt is made from one long piece, and not shapes cut out with a pattern, you have not wasted a thing practicing. You can sew in pleats and rip them out almost forever.

When you get so you can stitch invisibly, and have everything line up perfectly, simply leave that pleat and go to the next one.

About the time you have perfected your stitching you have a kilt you can be proud of.

Please don't bother with practice fabrics. You will save money, time, and frustration working with the real thing.

[rondo]

I was going to recommend Denver Fabrics but as you are in the UK any savings you would have on fabric would be eaten up in shipping and import duties. Perhaps the advice from David and Steve will serve you better. Good luck.
Rondo

[ratspike]

I can't agree with David and Steve enough. Sewing with quality fabric is so much easier than cheap stuff. My first tartan kilt was made from fabric store "poly viscose" Black Watch and it was not at all easy to work with. It was a little stretchy and not very densely woven, so pleats didn't want to stay pinned and the fabric moved easily under the presser foot. Sewing with Marton Mills PV was a night and day difference. So. Much. Easier. I've had the same experience with wool.