Why hand-sewn?

[GTRMAN]

Those likely weren't the kilts we know today. The kilts that were worn in the fields were great kilts and belted plaids. Both were just pieces of cloth that were pleated each time before being worn.

Absolutely.. But, as I said, isn't the practicality the tradition of the kilt? Especially with the phillabeg(sp?).

I'm sure the first tailored kilts were also made for every-day use. It just prevented the owner from taking the time to pleat it every time he put it on. Again, practicality comes into play.

[Colin]

Absolutely.. But, as I said, isn't the practicality the tradition of the kilt? Especially with the phillabeg(sp?).

I'm sure the first tailored kilts were also made for every-day use. It just prevented the owner from taking the time to pleat it every time he put it on. Again, practicality comes into play.

For practicality, the machine sewn will suit you just fine. If being part of a proud and honorable tradition is something of interest, go for the trained handsewn kiltmaker. Personally the diffence between machine sewn and handsewn was very little, but I figured if I was throwing $500+ down on a kilt, I wanted the better of the two (for me).

Just for clarification what do you mean by machine sewn? Are you talking about Scottish made tartan kilts from the same vendors that offer the handsewns, or are you talking about companies like USA Kilts, Stillwater, Utilikilts, etc?

[GTRMAN]

Just for clarification what do you mean by machine sewn? Are you talking about Scottish made tartan kilts from the same vendors that offer the handsewns, or are you talking about companies like USA Kilts, Stillwater, Utilikilts, etc?

All of the above.. I believe Utilikits and Amerikilts, as well as all of the other "contemporary models", as being the modern children of the Scottish Belted Plaid.. It has changed... for practical reasons..

Afterall, A kilt is a "Pleated, knee-length, wrap-around skirt worn by men that is USUALLY made of a tartan material"..

[macwilkin]

All of the above.. I believe Utilikits and Amerikilts, as well as all of the other "contemporary models", as being the modern children of the Scottish Belted Plaid.. It has changed... for practical reasons..

Afterall, A kilt is a "Pleated, knee-length, wrap-around skirt worn by men that is USUALLY made of a tartan material"..

Didn't the founder of Utilikilts, though, say something to the effect that he never based the Utilikilt on a traditional Scottish kilt? Hopefully someone will help me out on this, but I seem to remember reading this somewhere.

I would argue that Steve and Rocky's kilts are more "modern children" to the traditional kilt based on traditional designs.

Bottom line: I think your desire for practicality is a good thing, and I salute you for it. But what is "practical" to one may be different to another. Mutual respect for different opinions is always a good thing to strive for.

T.

[GTRMAN]

Didn't the founder of Utilikilts, though, say something to the effect that he never based the Utilikilt on a traditional Scottish kilt? Hopefully someone will help me out on this, but I seem to remember reading this somewhere.

I would argue that Steve and Rocky's kilts are more "modern children" to the traditional kilt based on traditional designs.

Bottom line: I think your desire for practicality is a good thing, and I salute you for it. But what is "practical" to one may be different to another. Mutual respect for different opinions is always a good thing to strive for.

T.

Even if his "invention" is not consciously based on the Scottish kilt, the similarties cannot be denied. Convergent evolution, maybe?

Mutual respect? ABSOLUTELY!!!
I just had questions and thought this would be an interesting topic of conversation for a Friday!!!

[Barb T]

Rocky is the only person I've met who can machine sew the pleats of a kilt and have it look as good as a hand sewn one. It's a personal preference on his part, because I gather he doesn't like to hand sew. But, honestly, you'd never know by looking at his premier kilts that the pleats are machine sewn, because he sews them from the inside and he is meticulous. It is truly an art. And, it takes him as long to make a kilt that way as it does for me to do one by hand, as he just pointed out. That's reflected in the price - a premier kilt from Rocky costs exactly what a hand-sewn kilt from me costs - $450 to 600 depending on the tartan. No surprise there. The materials are the same, and the labor is the same.

_Most_ machine-sewn kilts are quickies - top-stitched and without the typical interior construction that many of you earlier in this thread point to as being the hallmark of a trad kilt. Trad kilts are bomb-proof and will hold their shape forever if you don't wad them up in a ball when they're damp. They actually don't have to be babied, although the cost makes people want to baby them!

And "certified in Scotland" as a kiltmaker is something very new (within the last 10 years) and invented by the Keith School largely as advertising to make their kiltmakers more special than the rest of us. Pardon my cynicism, but it grates a bit when the only way to be "certified" is to purchase training at their school. To my knowledge, this is not a government thing, nor is it in the tradition of kiltmaking. That's my understanding, anyway - if I am in error in this, please let me know.

Barb

[Pleater]

My record of kilt making is not very long, not compared to my sewing of smocks and tunics, knitting socks, or jerseys or other traditional garments.

However, I do have a family tradition to keep up, and an inherited persnikertyness which means things have got to be right.

Some of my kilts have been remade four times as my waist has decreased from 50 to 38 inches. I started off with traditional knife pleats, but they evolved with each remaking.

I have settled on a method of which is the reverse of the Kinguisse style, and was perhaps torn between pride and pique when the last two, the black and the DPM versions were thought to be Utilikilts.

Various kilts have been machine sewn entirely, hand sewn entirely, or a mixture, with different parts being done differently to see how well they could be done. I don't sew the fell, nor the inner edges of the aprons, nor the outer folds of the pleats but use careful folding and sewing to get a flared apron and perfectly even pleats.

The techniques I have evolved for sewing by hand and machine are slightly different in order to avoid various problems inherent with the different methods of construction, but I would say that only the skill of the maker is at all important.

With care and a good technique just about every seam of a kilt could be sewn perfectly on a sewing machine, whilst a poor or careless sewer could mess up making a kilt by hand. I think it is not really the method of sewing which is important but the skills of the maker and the effort they are prepared to put into the making up, and the correcting of any errors.

[Riverkilt]

Having worked in uncertified/unlicensed industries (hearing aid sales, massage therapy, and counseling) and being in those industries as certification/licensure were adopted for the protection of the consumer, I do have respect for credentials of certification - even non-governmental ones.

I'm guessing Barb is talking about my chosen kiltmaker - Kathy Lare - since she is certified in Scotland by the Keith School of Kiltmaking, back in 1997.

This article about her two years ago sheds some light

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/b...html?id=993283


Myself, I am most impressed by her certification. As a consumer it puts me at ease, as does the quality craftsmanship in each of the five hand sewn kilts I've purchased from her.

No doubt I could have had similar fine results from another hand sewn kiltmaker...just up front, as a new consumer, this credential was something to hang my hat on that first time out spending $500 in hard earned cash.

And, on another note, one of the joys of this board has been the genial relations between kiltmakers. Hopefully that will persevere.

I am highly credentialed myself in my own field and display them proudly. They were hard won and expensive and serve as a reassurance to the public who are meeting me for the first time seeking my services.

Ron

[herminator]

Well, I´ve done them all: machine top-stitched, machine stiched from the inside, all by hand.

My hand stiching is not so good, especially as I cut myself in my right hand last year and it still is a pain to sew with it!

So I have tried machine stitching from the inside and it sure is a lot of work pinning and sewing very slowly and carefully. And even so I have to open up at least three or four pleats again because I´m not satisfied. And the I do all the inside construction as with a completely handsewn kilt! Finished it looks better than my handsewn kilts, no pleat stitching can be seen and there is no real difference when wearing it.

The topstitched PV kilts are the ones I have for daily wear, but then here in Germany there are not many people who would even know qwhat to look for!

[The Wizard of BC]

A few words from sombody who does this for a living.

A hand sewn garment, (one done with needle and thread) if done by a professional, can be, better than one made by a sewing machine.

A professional kiltmaker can make stitches that are all completly equal in tension. They can be much smaller stitches. They can be placed to be almost invisible. They can also be placed to perfectly endure the stresses imposed on the garment.
A well hand sewn garment, Kilt or whatever, can outlast and out wear a machine sewn one.
The problem with hand stiching is that it takes an artist to do it right. It's like penmanship. We used to teach children to create very beautiful letters. They would practice for hours. It's much the same for a really good seamstress or tailor. They have the knack of making absolutly beautiful stitches.

Sewing machines came to be during the industrial revolution as a way of using labor that didn't need a 20 year apprenticship to learn their craft. As a way of increasing the production speed at which things can be made, and thereby lowering the final cost.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking garments made by machines. (That's how I make my living) But almost anyone with good hand/eye coordination can be taught to operate a sewing machine. Then if you break the sewing process up into steps so that each person only does one job, over and over, they can get very good at their job, and the final result can be very good.

Kilts on the other hand (with a couple of exceptions) are still almost always made, start to finish, by one person. This requires a very high level of artistry. You've got to know the kilt inside and out. All the way through the process.
I'm still learning. I still make changes to my design. Those changes are to make a better fitting, and longer lasting garment. But I'm new to this, and my design is young compared to a Traditional Kilt. The Traditional "Tank" has been under development for many years and Kiltmakers have learned how to construct a garment that can last for generations of daily wear. Heck, you can go to war in one of them.

The basic differance may seem to be the cost. But a hand sewn kilt made by a trained professional like Barb Tewksbury or Kathy Lare is more than just a thing of beauty. It has generations of experience built into it. Take a look at Barb's book. Just the canvas interfacing and liner take more work than some kiltmakers take for the entire kilt.
She will insert the needle crooked to start so that the fabric is skewed and twisted to align the Tartan pattern so perfectly that even from a few inches away you can't see even one thread that is not perfectly aligned.
That level of attention to detail is not always possible in our world of $15.00 jeans, in 20 colors, and every size imaginable, just sitting there on the shelf waiting for you to pick one up.

There is a place in this world for hand sewn "Tanks". There is a place for machine sewn Casual Kilts. There is a place for Contemporary Kilts such as my Freedom Kilts. There is a place for MUGS.
It is up to each of us to make the choice what type of kilt fits our own personal lifestyle. Not everyone wants or needs a "Tank". I'm just glad that there are artists out there that are willing to take the time, effort and pride to make a kilt of such profound beauty. One that can become an heirloom and still be worn with pride, years after the original investment of money.

If you have never strapped on a custom made hand sewn wool kilt, I urge you to treat yourself, just once in your life, to heaven.