Kiltmakers' experience with Strathmore fabric?

[davidlpope]

Dear Kiltmakers,

I'd be very appreciative if you'd share your experience working with Strathmore midweight tartan fabric. I have several fabric swatches, including one from Strathmore, and find that I like their color shades better than the other mills in this particular tartan and color scheme. I've not seen a kilt made up in this fabric, though, and am curious about how it compares with HOE or LC medium weight fabrics as in terms of selvedge quality, holding a crease, how it takes a stitch, etc. From my amateur comparison, it seems like it might be a bit more tightly woven than the comparable LC or HOE fabric.

Thanks for your feedback.

David

[bonnie heather]

Scottish born Ann Stewart, who was my mentor and who made kilts for more than 50 years, very often used Strathmore W60 midweight tartan. The colors are deep, it holds a pleat crease well and takes a stitch well, too. I'm not sure if they are still doing a flat woven selvedge, or if they are gradually starting to do a tuck-in selvedge. HOE has beautiful colors, but their tartan is a bit more springy and a little resistant to making a sharp crease.
Strathmore is very good about sending tartan promptly.

[davidlpope]

Thanks for your feedback.

[CMcG]

I have no experience with the mid weight, but rather the light weight, which I'll offer for what it's worth.

My girlfriend has a kilted skirt from Strathmore in light weight worsted wool tartan. It doesn't get worn too often, but she's had it for several years, it has traveled across the country in her luggage, and it spent nine months "stored" in a pile of clothes (not her fault... it's a long story). The pleats are---somewhat miraculously---still sharp. It *might* have been steamed once, but never re-pressed.

[Ancienne Alliance]

Lady Chrystel very much enjoys working with Strathmore Tartan fabric.
Nice colours, easy pleating.

Best,
Robert
for Lady Chrystel

[creagdhubh]

The first kilt that I bought on my own was medium weight (13 ounce) done in the Macpherson hunting tartan from Strathmore and from what I recall (I was rather young then, about 13 years old), the colours were indeed quite brilliant and the pleats crisp.

The kilt is long gone and has been given to a family member, but I still own a matching fly-plaid (with straight fringe) done at the same time in which the kilt was made. It is now used as an occasional table cloth.