"Brushed Plaid": suitability for a kilt

[Morris at Heathfield]

Thanks for the advice. I don't care for their poly/rayon, as it feels much too lightweight and has an ugly selvedge on both sides.

I had forgotten to ask about the width, which did seem a bit narrow to me.

I didn't see anything else at this particular store that looked promising (at least, for a kilt), so I think I'll cross it off my list for the present. I seem to recall seeing better materials (not necessarily plaids) at another location, however....

[vorpallemur]

Thanks for the advice. I don't care for their poly/rayon, as it feels much too lightweight and has an ugly selvedge on both sides.

I had forgotten to ask about the width, which did seem a bit narrow to me.

I didn't see anything else at this particular store that looked promising (at least, for a kilt), so I think I'll cross it off my list for the present. I seem to recall seeing better materials (not necessarily plaids) at another location, however....

If you look at the end of the bolt, there's usually a tag that tells what the fiber content, width, and country of origin is. (Usually has the price tag, too, for that matter.)

Unless you buy fabric from a specialist kilting fabric weaver, you're very unlikely to find anything with a better selvedge, almost certainly nothing with a selvedge that's usuable without a facing or hem. It's a side effect of how fabric is woven these days: most of it is done by shuttle-less rapier or jet looms, and the wefts are cut on either side. Shuttleless looms are much faster ( a fast shuttle loom might do 200 picks a minute. rapier or an air jet loom will top out at about 1000.), which means a loom can produce more cloth in a given time, which means it's cheaper.