Canvas interfacing

**Barb T** · 15th January 16, 06:15 AM

I'm sure there must be, but I don't have any knowledge of it myself. UK kiltmakers - can you help?

**Arnot** · 15th January 16, 11:55 AM

I get stuff like this at Chorley Market in Chorley, Lancs. I sort of double it (cut it normal length and twice the width then fold it in half). I give it a quick iron and put it in as normal. It's sturdier than some of the stuff I have found in kilts that I have altered. I like it and those that have kilts that I have made have been happy as well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MEDIUM-NATUR...oloured+calico

**Andrew Breecher** · 19th January 16, 01:20 PM

The Lining Company is based in the UK, and has the following:

http://www.theliningcompany.co.uk/ca...oducts_id=2840

**Sean Wilson** · 19th January 16, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew Breecher

The Lining Company is based in the UK, and has the following:

http://www.theliningcompany.co.uk/ca...oducts_id=2840

Thank you. That's a great help

**The Wizard of BC** · 19th January 16, 05:05 PM

One of the chest canvases would actually work better. You want to add strength but not weight. The idea of using hair Canvas in the back of a kilt is to give some vertical stiffness and body to the kilt.
It forms something along the same idea as boning. This is why we fold the Hair canvas. Each added layer adds to the vertical rigidity.
The Hair Canvas we want for a kilt is stiffer in one direction that in the other and it is dimensionally stable. It does not "give".

In the Thomas Gordon school of Kiltmaking that is used in TAoK, the horizontal strength, across the back of the kilt, is taken up by the stabilizer. The rest of the horizontal strength falls to the hair canvas to absorb.

One of the whole ideas behind all the stuff hidden behind the lining of the kilt is to take up the stress of wearing the kilt. The outer Tartan fabric should drape naturally. The stress of wearing should never be transferred to the weak Tartan fabric nor to the hand stitches. The stitches will fail and/or the fabric will be permanently distorted.

**Andrew Breecher** · 20th January 16, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC

One of the chest canvases would actually work better. You want to add strength but not weight. The idea of using hair Canvas in the back of a kilt is to give some vertical stiffness and body to the kilt.
It forms something along the same idea as boning. This is why we fold the Hair canvas. Each added layer adds to the vertical rigidity.
The Hair Canvas we want for a kilt is stiffer in one direction that in the other and it is dimensionally stable. It does not "give".

Thank you, Steve. I wondered about that. Chest canvas (or "hair cloth" in the tailoring trade) is made with long strands of horse hair and does react just as you describe. It is much stiffer in one direction than body canvas.