Troy, NY Kilt Kamp

[Wompet]

Well, it’s taken me long enough to start this, but I’m finally going to post my write-up of the 2007 Troy, NY kilt camp. I still haven’t uploaded all of my photos, so the write-up will have to do for now.

The Troy camp is held every year in conjunction with the Braemar School of Scottish Highland Dance. This year both ran from June 23rd to the 28th. This year’s camp was special in that it was Elsie Stuehmeyer’s last year. Elsie was Barb T’s teacher (at a Troy camp a decade or so ago), and given the regard in which we hold her, I couldn’t pass up the only opportunity I’ld get to learn from her teacher, could I?

Both the kilt-making and dance camps are held at the Emma Willard School for Girls, in Troy. Saturday the 23rd consisted entirely of arriving, registering, finding everyone’s respective rooms, and the pre-camp cookout. The fact that I was the only male kilt-maker made the registering and room-finding entertaining.

Before I type anything else, I have to get this out of the way:
“One time, at Kilt Camp, …”

Sunday morning we started making our kilts, with instruction from Elsie and Judy (who’s taking over the East Coast camps). Our schedule was 7:00 beat the ravenous horde of highland dancers to breakfast, 8:00-11:30 work on kilts, 11:30 beat the ravenous horde of highland dancers to lunch, 12:30-5:30 work on kilts, 5:30 beat the ravenous horde of highland dancers to supper, 7:00-9:00 (or 10:00) work on kilts. So that's 10 1/2 hours for three days, plus 4 hours on Thursday, spent kilt-making. All said and done, out of 21 students only 1 got her kilt completely done (a couple of us got close - a few more steps to go). Oh, and after 9 or 10, we would gather in the one lounge and listen to Elsie's stories for a couple of hours.

The fact that there were 21 of us also made things a little interesting. With it being Elsie's last year, the organizers (sisters whose mother founded the summer dance school) took more applicants than they probably should have. Fortunately, among the students were Judy (Elsie's replacement on the East Coast), Cherie (Elsie's replacement on the West Coast), and Ann the left-handed kiltmaker. The three of them helped out a whole lot, and being left-handed myself, I gave a big thank you to Ann for transposing certain steps so a lefty could do them easier. Having said that, I think Judy set the maximum number of students next year at 13, counting Ann.

What can I say about Elsie? She's a combination Scottish Grandmother, School-teacher ("old school" school teacher), and drill sergeant. She would show you how to do something, why to do it that way, and then you did it that way ... or else. The Tartan Gnome (her nickname) would go around and look at our handiwork when we weren't there, and if something was really wrong - rriiiipppp out come the stitches. I think Way2Fractious mentioned last year that Elsie wouldn't let anyone at his kilt camp to use pins. She let us use two - at most. I was allowed to use four, because I was left-handed (and the only guy, and had never made a "proper" kilt before). When it comes to kilts, she's a traditionalist - wool, 8 yards, worn by men or dancers. This got me some ribbing, because all I took to wear were my hemp RKilt and my CCK ("You've got a proper kilt now - throw those in the rubbish when you get home!").

The rest will have to wait until I get the pictures uploaded.

[McMurdo]

I'm sure they are not going in the trash, I wonder what she would have said about your Matt Newsome box pleat. It does sound like a good time though, waiting for the pictures, at the next SOKS night be sure to wear what you made I would love to see it.

[JRB]

Sounds like a blast. I live only 15 minutes from Troy and would be interested in attending next year. How do I go about getting information?

[Wompet]

McMurdo - I hope to finish the kilt, if not today, then definitely by Saturday.

JRB - I'm on the mailing list now, so when the date for next year's camp is set, I'll be posting it on XMarks.

[JRB]

Thanks, wompet. I'd really like to try my hand at kilt making.

[Mr. MacDougall]

Sounds like it was a fun event. I was in Troy, at RPI, for one year. Troy in summer is nice, but Troy in the winter? Ugh!

[Bob C]

Troy is only a couple hours from here. I might give that a try, one of these years.

Ann, the kiltmaker, isn't Ann Stewart, is she? Ann's a famous kiltmaker in her own right.

[JRB]

I was under the impression that Ann Stewart was semi-retired from kilt making these days.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

Left handed you say? Then there is hope for me after all. I'm going to have a go (this fall most likely) at trying to make a "real" kilt, following The Art of Kiltmaking, left-handed. Most likely, I'll just make the durn thing right handed, but it's good to hear there are other lefties out there tackling this.

Be well,

[Bob C]

I was under the impression that Ann Stewart was semi-retired from kilt making these days.

Correct. She closed her shop, but is still making kilts and selling tartan from home.