Hey, $8 P/V Maple Leaf Tartan!!

[ccga3359]

Perhaps Sheep In Wolf's Clothing is intending to make a kilted skirt with this material. Isn't the lighter weight ideal for this purpose?

[Sheep In Wolf's Clothing]

It's lightweight, but it's heavier than some other material I used recently to make my sister a box-pleated tartan skirt. I just added a little band of lining canvas in the hem and used a little starch when washing it. It's very soft and will be great for wearing to any Canada Day BBQ's.(and yes it is a kilt but I don't want to bring that "women wearing kilts thing” up again! )So far it's been pretty ok to cut and sew.

My main point was it was a great find for a DIYer for practicing their kilt making skills. I am going to try pleating to the set with this one. If I foul up, it's not that much of a financial loss. It's hard to do much with most of the generic fashion prints found in most fabric stores. The sets are very small most of the time.

By any means I would NEVER recommend that the average kilt buyer go out and purchase Wal-Mart cloth and expect to have a long lasting tank made from it, but to a DIYer, it might just help them build their skill.

And thank goodness kilt making is rather low tec, we lost power for a few hours, but I did not notice I was kilt making in front of our living room window!

Sara
Who actually recommended CCK to someone the other day. You might hear from someone down this way soon!

[Barb T]

Just remember that the Maple Leaf tartan (if it's true Maple Leaf) is an asymmetric tartan. So, it's a little harder to lay out.

Barb

[ccga3359]

Love to see it when finished SIWC you will post pics when finished won't you.

[Sheep In Wolf's Clothing]

Hello all,

Barb- I figured that out at 1am Sunday morning, so I ended pleating to the light brown-gold stripe. I am really going to take my time with this one because I think it might turn out very well. Oddly enough I ended up with 13 pleats, one for every province and territory!

ccga3359- I will try to post pics when I am finished, I just have a feeling it will take a long time to do so!

Sara

[JimB]

Never be put off by lighter weight fabric. In my opinion it is absolutely necessary to work with this stuff to get the skills to make kilts. Besides, you can put in a liner to add body to the aprons and to make up for any "thinness". I have done this many times with good results. The kilt's end up being light true, (not necessarily a bad thing in the summer) but of good body and feel. No they are not tanks and never will be, but I think there are room for kilts of all fabric ranges. If the end result is a good looking and good feeling kilt that gives the owner some sewing practice, then why not?

For someone who is just learning I think it's a bit much to ask that they start with $80 a yard 16 oz wool unless they are being mentored by someone who knows what they are doing (like one of these kilt workshops). It's pretty intimidating for a beginner to cut that stuff because it is a huge investment.

Good on ya, for trying this. With the lighter weight, cheaper fabric you won't be afraid to try things, and that's where kilt making skills (learned on your own, with just the aid of a book) come from.
Jim

[Barb T]

Barb- I figured that out at 1am Sunday morning, so I ended pleating to the light brown-gold stripe.

Just for everyone else, this is a guaranteed solution with an asymmetric tartan _only_ if the color on both sides of the stripe you are pleating to is the same. If it's one color on one side, and one color on the other, then you have the same issues across the join if you use double width cloth as you do if you pleat it to the sett.

Barb

[Warlock]

It would be ideal to make flashes and other odd and ends out of. Might be a little less exspensive if someone wanted a fly, or stadium blanket. Maybe as a lining to a jacket.