What's the difference?

[Nathan S]

I have been search the interwebs for fabric and I see different fabrics that say best for "suiting" or "apperal" what id the difference in these "Types" and what would be recomended?

[Father Bill]

What are you making?

[The Wizard of BC]

The way fabrics are advertised and listed are vague and confusing even to those of us in the garment industry.

Suiting fabrics may mean anything you would make a suit out of. This could be anything from a light weight tropical seersucker to a heavy weight wool for winter.

Apparel fabrics can mean anything. A ladies summer sundress is apparel and so is a man's winter overcoat.

Kilt fabrics are one of the rare fabrics where the weight of the fabric is listed and even this is not always standard.

It really comes down to knowing what you are going to make and finding a fabric suitable for that garment regardless of how the fabric is described.

[Nathan S]

What are you making?

I'm wanting to make a "Lesser" Kilt for work, but it is looking like time and money are not on my side. so I may settle for a belted plaid for a Renissence Fair in May

[Sir Didymous]

You will need a slightly heavier material (nothing under 10oz) for a kilt. I also would like to state that the use description has little real meaning. I find myself sometimes using fabric listed as being for upholstery to make reenactment attire. It is always something of a gamble buying what you can't inspect first hand.

[cj7ox]

Nathan S,

I just spent a couple hours in a local fabric chain store, and left more confused than when I went it. Those descriptions really are nuts! LOL!

[OC Richard]

I sometimes see nice UK-made worsted wool tartan in fairly heavy weights being sold as upholstery fabric.

Except for the selvedge it seems like it would make good kilts.

Loads of them here, just one of many sites

http://www.sprucelondon.com/fabrics/tartan-fabric.html

[The Wizard of BC]

If you want to do a Great Kilt for a Ren Faire may I suggest you look for a Tartan bed blanket. Not a light weight picnic blanket but one for on your bed in the winter.

You can often find them at swap meets and second hand stores.

Look for one about double or full size. A single size is too small and a Queen size is too large. If you can find one in boiled wool all the better.

I have one that I use during my history of the kilt lectures. It is a pretty good representation of a Brat. Shows how you can wrap up in it at night, keep warm out in the fields, and most importantly is incredibly easy and fast to put on. You don't lie down, you pull it over your head and take your belt from your leine and put it on outside the blanket.

Once I quite worrying about trying to create a modern looking kilt from it. I have found it is perhaps one of the most versatile garments.

[jhockin]

Photos, Steve, photos ;0)

[OC Richard]

Our local Ren Faire people are careful to avoid recognizable tartans for their great kilts. Rather, they go to ordinary fabric shops and buy wool plaid which looks tartanlike. They do this for very good reason: our recognized clan and military tartans almost certainly didn't exist at that time.