Inexpensive Tartan Material

[O'Callaghan]

Frugal Corner do a true solid green kilt. I have one. I can't say it's the best kilt I own, and they sent me one a size bigger than I ordered, but they do appear to be the only people that make one at the budget end of the market. Their prices have gone up, but it's still only $68 now.

In contrast, the green wool kilts from Stillwater are $122, but that is by far the cheapest you will find a pure wool kilt. I have a couple of their acryllic kilts, which are quite good quality, and their service is unsurpassed. However, their green kilts are not a true solid green, as they have a 'shadow tartan' pattern that shows up in the right light.

As for Amerikilt, they seem to cover all the Irish festivals and celtic festivals around this neck of the woods, but I am in Maryland, so I don't know how far afield they go. It does mean I have had the chance to look at their products close up in their booths, though.

Amerikilt make more of a contemporary kilt, and as I'm sure you know they are available in forrest green, which is a suitably Irish shade, but they only come with a back pocket plus a detachable 'cloth sporran' (which of course is in the middle at the front). I have thought about getting a contemporary kilt, but if I did I'm afraid I'd want a decent pair of pockets that were not at the back. I never use back pockets myself.

I see a lot of guys at Irish festivals wearing cargo kilts in olive green. To me, this doesn't seem atall the right shade of green, but I can easily see why they wear them. There doesn't seem to be anyone making cargo kilts in a proper Irish shade of green. Or saffron either for that matter, although a couple offer shades that are close to saffron, but not exactly right.

This seems to be a gap in the market, and I can't understand why nobody seems to be filling it? I know they would be able to sell them at Irish festivals. Half the guys in traditional kilts at these things don't wear a sporran, so I'm sure that kilts in the traditional Irish colours but with decent pockets would go down well.

[O'Callaghan]

Should be perfect for those who obsess about pleat count -- to the sett, 150 pleats with a 0.25-inch reveal!

They do imply that the sett is rather small. I assume that's what you're alluding to?

[HighlandMax]

..........100% acrylic and I like it. I may just have to break down and get the wool green one he sales.
I had mentioned that I bought some green polyester material at a local fabric store. It had to be ordered and I asked that it be sent directly to sportkilt. But, it was sent to me and I got it today. I'm glad now, that they did send it to me. It was the wrong color. It was green, but not the green I ordered. I ordered a shade of forest green, dark, but not too dark. What I got, was a light, very pale, almost white green. I took it back. So, I'm back to looking again.
www.fashionfabricsclub.com has some good deals on wool and wool blend fabric, if anyone is looking for something other than a tartan fabric. I bought some that is 97% wool. I particularly look good in black, and the fabric I ordered is a very very dark almost black green, with a lighter green plaid, for only $4.75 per yard. Their average cost is $ 10.00 per yard.

[Pleater]

I would advise not to select a fabric simply on its colour and price, not without seeing and feeling it in the thread, so to say - the thread count and density of the material is rather important for a kilt, use a cloth that is soft, loosely woven or coarse, or conversely tightly woven and stiff, and you might find that it will simply not be worth the effort or cost of sewing pleats into it.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: