What's all the hubub about hand stiching?

[ForresterModern]

I own 7 handsewn kilts, 6 tanks and one Kingussie, all wool, from 6 different respected kilt makers who shall remain nameless, along with another 7 machine sewn wool kilts, all but one of them full 8 yarders. I also own one 8yd PV machine sewn. Only the PV has any topsewn stitching other than that for the straps and buckles and such. Without taking any of them and tearing them apart it is difficult to tell the difference between the handsewns and the machine sewns by looking at them---a few subtle differences but not much. Virtually all the fell stitching on all but the PV is evenly spaced and virtually invisible from the outside of the kilt, unless it has been inordinately stressed by my fat @rse. But there are small detail differences between them with the handsewns all using slighly sturdier straps and somewhat nicer and neater linings. The big difference I sense is the feeling of the fit being just a bit more comfortable, even though none of the handsewns had the advantage of the kiltmaker personally measuring me or adjusting the fit afterward. One handsewn, the second from the same kiltmaker, did have a few adjustments made on the original measurements that significantly improved the fit of the second kilt over the first from that same kiltmaker. I think that is probably the best benefit of working with a kiltmaker to get your handsewns---having the ability to adjust your designated measurements with any follow-up kilts to improve the overall fit of the subsequent kilts. On the second kilt we changed the width of the front apron by an inch or more as well as increased the rise by a full inch without changing the overall length, both improving the fit and look of the later kilt, and hopefully any further to come. All this was done with photos and emails exchanged.

That is not much help first time around---best recommendation for that would to be have your kilt made by a kiltmaker who you can go to for them to measure you their way, and so they can see your body type and shape and potentially accommodate that in the design, layout, and build of your kilt.


j

[Tobus]

Hand stitching seems practical to me because it seems to produce a better swing to the kilt and to give the klit a bit more flexibility under stress than machine stitching.

I'm asking out of sheer ignorance here, but how would the type of stitching affect the swing of the kilt?

[Barb T]

Doesn't seem to me that it would. What governs the swing is the relative depth of the fell (the stitched portion of the pleats) - too long and the pleats don't swing, too short and the pleats are "flippy" instead of "swingy" - and the weight of the tartan in the back of the kilt (so a kilt with identical fells and identical depth pleats will swing better in heavier weight tartan). I can't see what difference it would make whether they were hand or machine stitched.