Bull Denim for making kilts

[sydnie7]

Yep, last denim I bought from JoAnne's was on a "red tag" bolt that said -- get this -- 100% cotton, professional cleaning recommended! And I'm sure it's not all cotton, has a stretch to it and curls like the dickens. It is the green stuff I made Bob's first RK XKilt from, and I had to pin the front apron closed for the pix I posted

I'm going to try ironing a heavy interfacing onto a scrap, see if that defeats the curl -- if not, I'm going to add a self-liner to the front apron, let the two curls battle it out. Adds another level of "reverse" meaning to the RK!

[Farlander]

My 100% cotton 12 oz. bull denim X-Kilt definitely needed the inner pleats sewn down!

It is a fine comfy kick around kilt that is great for hiking or yard work, but it still wrinkles like a dickens!

I will not be trying bull (or any other kind) denim any time soon. It is just too much ironing!

[Aldisimo]

Both JoJo and HoHo (my pet names for JoAnn's and Hancock's) seem to have a problem with wrapping fabric on the wrong bolts. I was fingering two different denims a few weeks ago and they felt ... odd, but were supposed to be 100% cotton. Pulling them cross-grain, it was clear that they were both stretch denim and the labels should have indicated the elastic components.

One test that often works to check whether your fabrics are synthetic or natural is to burn a little piece. Natural fabrics usually leave ash while synthetics leave a hard lump; mixed usually leave a lump, too.

[Nick the DSM]

what's the difference between jean denim and bull denim? aren't they the same? my jeans don't curl up or wrinkle easily.

[The Wizard of BC]

Nick,

The name Bull Denim comes from the fabric being much heavier than the fabric used for blue jeans which is called Indigo Denim.

And yes, your jeans fabric does wrinkle and pucker. It's just that you have legs inside them forcing it back into shape as you wear them.

The reason people think they would like to have a Denim Kilt is they think that jeans are comfortable and the fabric soft. Actually the reason jeans fit is because it does shrink. With your body encased within the fabric is molds to your shape. But what if the fabric were just hanging there as it is in a kilt?

It is also believed that denim is soft. Well remember how hard and stiff a new pair of jeans is? And how long did it take and how many washings for the fabric to soften?

It is just that long time that makes denim the work fabric that it is. The longer it takes for a fabric to soften the longer it will take to wear out.

If you want a Denim Kilt, great, go for it.

[Alan H]

I *FINALLY* sewed down the inside of the pleats, and I'm wearing the kilt today. Upshot is that stitching down the inside had helped the utter chaos that these pleats turn into after a long day sitting at my desk. Now, they're still a mess, but it's not an UNHOLY mess... just sort of messy. I will say that the kilt is comfortable, and it looks pretty good if I don't sit in it.

Right. Actually from the FRONT, it nearly always looks good.

Also, the "swish" factor of bull denim is zero. Well, OK, not zero. but on a scale of 1 - 10 where high-quality 16 ounce pleated, worsted wool is 10 and cast bronze is zero, this comes in at about a 2.

I still won't make another bull denim kilt. If I want another black kilt, and I make it, I'll make it out of cotton/polyester "dockers weight" (...meaning probably about 8 ounce) twill.

Actually, if I just HAVE to have another non-traditional black kilt I'll just buy one from Freedom Kilts and call it good.