Kiltmaking day?

[way2fractious]

Just phishing... I mean, wondering, if there is enough interest within the Central California community of XMarkstheScot to schedule a show-and-tell seminar on contemporary (or traditional) kiltmaking. There appear to be several who have already made some kilts and some others who wish to make a kilt, or two... or twenty.

Switchblade in Fresno, CA; Alan H. in the Bay Area; and myself in Stockton, CA come immediately to mind. Perhaps there are others in Central California who are interested in the specific techniques of kiltmaking in order to make their own kilts.

I'm thinking along the lines of a free Saturday (oxymoron?) - or an XMarks tent at some games - where members bring their own books, fabric, supplies, notepads, digital cameras, and beverages of choice, etc. At this freeform seminar, members would engage in an off-line, hands-on, face-to-face demonstration, show-and-tell, Q&A, or whatever, regarding fabrics and patterns, hemming, pleating choices, tapering, stitching options, fastener hardware, belts, sources of supplies... (breathe in...) in short, as many aspects of the art as can be accommodated by the do-it-yourself types.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

W2F, sounds like a ladies sewing circle of old! And I don't mean that in a bad way. Sounds like a great time. Maybe you could get SK or UK to send somebody down as a guest speaker.

[The Wizard of BC]

Please remember that we are in the planning stages of the 2007 Kilt Kamp.
This years kamp was overcome by events and too little planning time.

To be held in Victoria, BC Canada. At the Freedom Kilts shop and kilt education center.

Guests and speakers list is being worked on and I'm trying to get Barb to be there for Traditional kilts, Rocky and Kelly for Casual Tartans, Myself for Contemporaries, Allen H. for jacket conversions, and the master himself, Matt Newsome to speak on history and proper wear of the kilt and accessiories.

We're hoping for a three day open tutor format where each participant has open access to these experts to answer questions, get tips, try their hand at something new, and meet each other.

We hope to end the event with a dinner and kilt night in my adopted hometown. If you've never been to Victoria, it is a city which should not be missed for a tourist and vacation destination. We're more british than the British.

What say you all?

[Alan H]

Just phishing... I mean, wondering, if there is enough interest within the Central California community of XMarkstheScot to schedule a show-and-tell seminar on contemporary (or traditional) kiltmaking. There appear to be several who have already made some kilts and some others who wish to make a kilt, or two... or twenty.

Switchblade in Fresno, CA; Alan H. in the Bay Area; and myself in Stockton, CA come immediately to mind. Perhaps there are others in Central California who are interested in the specific techniques of kiltmaking in order to make their own kilts.

I'm thinking along the lines of a free Saturday (oxymoron?) - or an XMarks tent at some games - where members bring their own books, fabric, supplies, notepads, digital cameras, and beverages of choice, etc. At this freeform seminar, members would engage in an off-line, hands-on, face-to-face demonstration, show-and-tell, Q&A, or whatever, regarding fabrics and patterns, hemming, pleating choices, tapering, stitching options, fastener hardware, belts, sources of supplies... (breathe in...) in short, as many aspects of the art as can be accommodated by the do-it-yourself types.

I'm still working on getting an X Marks booth for the Pleasanton Games. What I could do, though is modify a jacket AT THE TENT during the games, or possibly bang together an inexpensive tartan or solid-color casual kilt. Just need the sewing machine...(got that) and a quiet 110 generator.

[davedove]

Please remember that we are in the planning stages of the 2007 Kilt Kamp.
This years kamp was overcome by events and too little planning time.

To be held in Victoria, BC Canada. At the Freedom Kilts shop and kilt education center.

Guests and speakers list is being worked on and I'm trying to get Barb to be there for Traditional kilts, Rocky and Kelly for Casual Tartans, Myself for Contemporaries, Allen H. for jacket conversions, and the master himself, Matt Newsome to speak on history and proper wear of the kilt and accessiories.

We're hoping for a three day open tutor format where each participant has open access to these experts to answer questions, get tips, try their hand at something new, and meet each other.

We hope to end the event with a dinner and kilt night in my adopted hometown. If you've never been to Victoria, it is a city which should not be missed for a tourist and vacation destination. We're more british than the British.

What say you all?

It sounds great. I'm not really that interested in making my own kilts, but it would be interesting to hear what all the experts have to say. It would be worth the trip just to meet all of those notable personalities.

[way2fractious]

Please remember that we are in the planning stages of the 2007 Kilt Kamp.

My suggested "kilting bee" should in no way be misinterpreted to take away from the 2007 Kilt Kamp. Nor is it a replacement for the Lake Tahoe kilt school which I will be attending in August 2006.

Other threads have discussed what activities might be carried out at an XMarks tent or booth in terms of information promulgation. Why not a resource for those who want to make their own kilts, jackets, flashes, flies, sporrans, belts, blades, and so on?

My experiences at highland games have consisted of watching a few athletic events (for which I will never have the proper physique), wandering through vendor booths, lusting after every piece of exquisite and expensive tartan I will never own, examining every sporran and pouch on display, standing in looong, looong lines to get an outrageously expensive and unhealthy sausage for lunch. My home base is a clan tent where I've been adopted (some people adopt all kinds of strays.) After an hour or two of kilt-watching, the event begins to lose its luster.

[Dream sequence *on*] I pine for a pair of scissors in hand (note 1)... wish for the comfort of thimble and needle with waxed thread... yearn to sit with right leg crossed over left and pulling the taper tight, while lining up the stripes... [Dream sequence *off*]

Several times I have considered lugging along an unfinished kilt or sporran and all the supplies to work on it during the afternoon hours. My thought was that if other local characters have an attention span as short as mine, a kilting bee might be just the ticket.

Or, gathering on some other day with the sole purpose of exchanging techniques and ideas, and receiving assistance, for dressing ourselves at minimum expense (aka, sweat equity.)



note 1 to self: replace skean dubh with scissors.

[way2fractious]

I'm still working on getting an X Marks booth for the Pleasanton Games. What I could do, though is modify a jacket AT THE TENT during the games, or possibly bang together an inexpensive tartan or solid-color casual kilt. Just need the sewing machine...(got that) and a quiet 110 generator.

This is exactly what I had in mind. BTW, I've hand-stitched cotton kilts before; they just need a good stabilizer under the lining to prevent tension on the pleat stitches.

[switchblade5984]

sounds like fun!

i havent yet made one still working on it

baby on the way so not much time

[bunchdescendant]

I am making solid plans to be at the Pleasanton games and would like to attend a show and stitch deal. Keep us filled in on the plans.

Ray (with the pin-cushion fingers)
"I don't understand it-I cut it three times and it's still too short"

[way2fractious]

I am making solid plans to be at the Pleasanton games...

My calendar also has that Saturday marked down. My plan is to have a full handsewn traditional kilt from the XMarks tartan already in my possesion, adorned with an XMarks kilt pin now in production.

There are several things already on my list for that event: 1) check in with my Scottish clan, 2) get my "Top 10 Worst Kilts" poster autographed by the photographer , 3) run the kilted mile (only practice beforehand this year :rolleyes: ), and 4) meet up with as many XMarks clan members as are there on Saturday.

I'll probably drag along a small sampling of casual kilts and fur sporrans, a casual kilt work-in-progress, my camera, and something to eat and something cold (but non-alcoholic) to drink.