Poughkeepsie Kilt Maker

[Sherry]

This is a nice article about a kilt maker in Poughkeepsie:

Kilts create wearable history lesson By Sarah Bradshaw
Poughkeepsie Journal

October 25, 2005


A kilt is not a skirt that men wear to show off their shapely legs, nor is it used for better ventilation on a hot summer's day.

There is a lot of heritage carefully pleated in one's kilt. In fact, the cloth's woven pattern, or tartan, identifies a person's family name or the district of Scotland one's ancestors originated from.

Kilts date back at least 500 years before King Tutankhamen of Egypt and were worn traditionally in Scotland.

In the 1700's, each community had a weaver (usually men) who sewed woolen kilts. The weaver produced the same tartan for those around him —known as a "district tartan" today because it was worn by individuals who lived in close proximity.

Doreen Browning owns The Kiltmaker's Apprentice shop in Highland. She is helping keep the tradition alive. She said many of her clients buy kilts because they are fascinated by genealogy.

Gift search led to shop

A hunt for a gift led to her coming out of retirement and starting a business.

In 2000, after working for Grand Union for 32 years, Browning decided to retire. Shortly thereafter, Browning's husband. Robert. said he wanted a kilt for his birthday. Doreen, 62, went to see Ann Stewart, owner of Ann Stewart Kiltmaker in Catskill. Stewart mentioned she needed someone to help her sew kilts. Browning knew the basics of sewing and, "the rest is history," Browning said.

Stewart, 67, a native of Scotland has been sewing kilts since 1953. She started out as an apprentice when she was 15.

Almost 50 years later, as in the tradition, Stewart took on Browning as her student. She gave her a few pieces of material and had her practice.

"I show them what to do and send them home to practice," Stewart said. "When they get good at it, when they make about six kilts, I give them one customer."

Browning started slowly, practicing folding the tartans, basting the hipline, securing and stitching the pleats, then attaching the waistband, belt loops and belt.

In 2001, she began to get orders from Stewart, and was up to sewing about one kilt per week when Stewart told her she was closing the Catskill-based shop and concentrating on her online kilt business.

In March, Browning acquired some of the assets of Stewart's shop and opened The Kiltmaker's Apprentice in Highland. Browning's store offers custom kilts, special occasion kilt rentals, accessories and other goods.

"We don't have many walk-ins, not in an Italian town," Browning joked. Many kilt orders and rental request are made through her Web site. Browning has filled orders from all over, including a client from Scotland who was getting married in New York City and needed a kilt.

Kiltmakers need a lot of knowledge of Scottish heritage, good mathematical skills and a love of sewing.

It takes Browning about 12 hours to sew a kilt. Her husband handles filling and shipping orders. The cost for a formal kilt is about $450.

"It was an opportunity," she said about coming out of retirement to start a small business. "If we weren't doing this, we probably would have used our motor home a lot more this summer. But we like doing this. If we didn't, we wouldn't do it," she said.

Sarah Bradshaw can be reached at sbradshaw@poughkeepsiejournal.com

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/a...0331/1003/NEWS

Sherry

[Sherry]

And a pic:

[flyv65]

Did the article say there were kilts 500 years before Tut? I'd like to see the reference for that, sometime.

Bryan...I wonder if Matt Newsome would agree with that statement...

[Bob C]

Ann Stewart made my kilt. I miss her shop. I guess she still makes kilts at home. Here's her link: www.kiltshop.com

And, here's Doreen's link: http://highlandkiltshop.com/

[flyv65]

Ann Stewart made my kilt. I miss her shop. I guess she still makes kilts at home. Here's her link: www.kiltshop.com

And, here's Doreen's link: http://highlandkiltshop.com/

Good to have the recommendation of some more quality kilt makers; thanks Bob.

Bryan...trying not to look at the calendar and wonder when mine will come in...

[Rob]

Did the article say there were kilts 500 years before Tut? I'd like to see the reference for that, sometime.

So would I. There wasn't even a separate land called Scotland at that time. The Romans referred to the land to the north of Hadrian's Wall as Celedonia, and before that we do not know of any name which separated that part of the island from the rest. Scotland was named after the Dalriada Scots, who came to Western Caledonia from Ireland in the 5th century AD.

Rob

[lrpddrummie]

Bob,

I have an Ann Stewart Kilt also. I have yet to find a better made kilt then hers. Doreen has been taught by the best so I am sure her kilts are of superior quality. I lived in Middletown NY and had a customer in Catskill so I stopped in Ann's shop everytime I passed through town. Next time I am up in that part of NY I will have to be sure and stop a visit with Doreen.

[flyv65]

There wasn't even a separate land called Scotland at that time. The Romans referred to the land to the north of Hadrian's Wall as Celedonia, and before that we do not know of any name which separated that part of the island from the rest. Scotland was named after the Dalriada Scots, who came to Western Caledonia from Ireland in the 5th century AD.

Yes, I've been brushing up on my Scottish history lately, ready Fitzroy Maclean's "Scotland: a Concise History" on the lightrail into work in the mornings. Things get little confusing for me with the "volatile" way allegiances change amongst the factions, and to a lesser extent, with the dual kingship (remembering to differentiate between James I and James VI/I). I'll probably need to read a good general European history book to help put the events in Scotland into context.

Bryan...Maclean also did a beautiful book on the Highlanders with some wonderful photography...

[starbkjrus]

Gee, thanks everyone. Now I have two MORE people I have to order kilts from.

Bryan,

You might also want to go to the Royal Website and click on the history link and select Kings and Queens of Scotland. There is a lot of interesting information to be found there. There is a bit of an English spin to it as well as a "Windsor" spin but interesting none the less. That website is the one that really whetted my appetite for the history of the United Kingdom.

http://www.royal.gov.uk

[Bob C]

Bob,

I have an Ann Stewart Kilt also. I have yet to find a better made kilt then hers. Doreen has been taught by the best so I am sure her kilts are of superior quality. I lived in Middletown NY and had a customer in Catskill so I stopped in Ann's shop everytime I passed through town. Next time I am up in that part of NY I will have to be sure and stop a visit with Doreen.

Have you met Ann's husband, Ron? He's a heck of an entertainer. He did the "Address to a Haggis" and played the fiddle at a Burns Suppper I went to, once. I've also seen him running an amateur caber toss and weaving tartan at games.