Hello from Melbourne, Australia

[AN COIGREACH ALBANNACH]

hello to you cmcld, from An coigreach Albannach.

Will you be attanding said celtic festival and playing your fiddle there?

Yes, as you see news of you has preceded you via your tasmanian connection,Graham.Failte an xmts!

[Father Bill]

Glad you're here! Welcome!

[KiltedDixon]

Welcome from North Texas.

[billsides]

Yes he is the man I spoke of, and a fine lad he is too, who has the good sense to be in Tassie this weekend

I know the quaich has been in Melbourne but Colin has agreed to carry it on back from Tassie and on to the National Celtic Festival in June.
Is that ok with everyone?

I plan to attend the festival to make sure Colin doesn't drink too much from the quaich

Nice to see you here sir, I look forward to your music this weekend.

I spotted your message on X marks the Scot. We danced together at Tallebudgera in class a few years ago so you may recall me and I think you arrived with a different kilt for each day and I arrived with one! I am from Melbourne and had two left feet but I have improved significantly since then having been to numerous schools both here and in NZ and even danced in Scotland. Not like you 100% kilted, I am about 50% and wear one as I write this. I dance 3 to 4 times weekly so wear kilts on those days, two classes are afternoon so that always means most of those days I am kilted. At other times I will wear tired old cheapies around the house on most nights and often when working in the garage. I wear a kilt with the slightest of excuse and even do on things like on old car runs, Rotary picnics and at old school and formal functions. Since I saw you, I have had three made to measure in Scotland and bought a couple more cheapies off the hook, and I have several quite old wool ones of various ages and weight that I got for free but one at 9 oz is very poor if outside and windy which makes me wonder about the similar weight Utilitikilt and Sportkilt American offerings. I am looking at trying out a very cheap Pakistani work one that looks to my eyes far better looking than Utilitikilt and has much heavier construction at 16 oz yet is miles cheaper than all the American offerings, most of which look positively weird with snaps and flaps all over the place and horrible creases abound even when new and they only get worse. An old acrylic cheapy from the same Pakistani outfit has withstood enormous abuse and remains 100% intact and it still looks in better shape straight out of the washing machine than those Yankee things but it is now badly pilled. It is only thrown in the washing machine when filthy from oil etc in the garage but it always cleans up perfectly which I find remarkable compared to all other clothing. I am however very concerned about its high flammability. I cannot say my expensive Kilts are all perfect, mills seem to be patchy in fabric quality, especially along the selvedge but my most recent kilt is perfect demonstrating that it can still be done properly. It is in the relatively new RSCD tartan. I am not sure if I will make Portarlington but it is my intention. I have danced in Tassie at Ross and Launceston a couple of times and toured and danced in Scotland twice since I saw you and will again be there in two months when I will probably buy yet another made to measure kilt. My kilt usage is ramping up now that I am retired. It is amazing how cheap decent kilts can be made for you in Edinburgh if you bargain enough as their economy is poor but much being sold over there is not even good for rags so you have to be very careful. I have seen some shockers at Gatherings and on the dance floor and seen many an expensive hand sewn kilt fall to bits after limited use and need to be resewn.

Anyway I thought I would touch base, I know how involved you have been with this group, I have long watched it but not participated.

Regards

Bill Sides Wheelers Hill Victoria

[cmacld]

Hi Everyone

Thank you for the warm welcome to xmarksthescot.

it was a very enjoyable weekend over in Tasmania to catch up with yourself Graham and friends.

There was lively Celtic music, good banter, the wearing of kilts and a fitting send off of the Quaich from Tasmania.

The Quaich is now in Melbourne.

Its next stop will be the Portarlington National Celtic Festival (http://www.nationalcelticfestival.com/).

The Quaich will be part of the opening ceremony on the Friday night.

[Graham]

Hello Bill, just noticed your message, how great to see you here.
Tallebudgera was great, it gave me much more confidence in dancing. Yes, I'm looking forward to meeting the quaich at Portarlington, also planning to go to Summer School in NZ in December, will you be there?

Re. kilts, I understand what you mean, adjusting to the idea of non-tartan kilts took a while for me. I was "converted" by Robert Pel - RKilts in Canada who sent a green wool kilt which I instantly loved.

I'm not fond of Utilikilts either, I've tried twice to buy one, both times they just didn't fit, they don't measure their kilts like most kiltmakers do.
For work I mostly wear RKilts hemp kilts, they are tough as well as comfortable. Hemp is an amazing material, much better then the duck cotton that some kiltmakers use. I love natural materials, but if you want a cheaper kilt, poly viscose is nice in tartan. I've bought a few of these from USA Kilts.

Keep in touch, must catch up soon.

[billsides]

Hello Bill, just noticed your message, how great to see you here.
Tallebudgera was great, it gave me much more confidence in dancing. Yes, I'm looking forward to meeting the quaich at Portarlington, also planning to go to Summer School in NZ in December, will you be there?

Re. kilts, I understand what you mean, adjusting to the idea of non-tartan kilts took a while for me. I was "converted" by Robert Pel - RKilts in Canada who sent a green wool kilt which I instantly loved.

I'm not fond of Utilikilts either, I've tried twice to buy one, both times they just didn't fit, they don't measure their kilts like most kiltmakers do.
For work I mostly wear RKilts hemp kilts, they are tough as well as comfortable. Hemp is an amazing material, much better then the duck cotton that some kiltmakers use. I love natural materials, but if you want a cheaper kilt, poly viscose is nice in tartan. I've bought a few of these from USA Kilts.

Keep in touch, must catch up soon.

Thanks for the response Graham, at the moment I am planning to be at Masterton this New Year, I was at Dunedin this year, Auckland the prior year and at Christchurch the one before that! Still not much of a dancer I have improved and do love the music and fellowship. Christchurch saw me going to bed at 5 in the morning a couple of times the after social playing there was so good. I am going to the Port Stevens school this year and am involved like it or not in the Dookie one next year which Victoria is running.

I am interested in your comments on kilt materials. I think the Urilitikilts are horrible with all those studs and as they always look badly creased in their ads, the reality must be worse! I have seen a few guys wearing them, they looked a bit pathetic to my eyes. At 9 oz I would not care to wear one outside unless it super calm as I like being free when not dancing and would not trust them. I have a 9 oz wool one and it is definately indoors only! An old Pakistani kilt has proven indestructable but is lighter than their claimed 16 oz, probably more like 10-12 oz. I am somewhat interested in their "work kilt" offering, it looks 10 times better than the US offerings and is claimed to be 16 oz cotton which should not be flammable and withstand abuse and washing and not go up in flames if welding. They are about $70 delivered so they are cheaper than anything I know of, have pockets, two buckles and straps, not velcrose or myriads of snaps and even have provision for a wide belt. I don't think they would suddenly depart south if you had a few heavy things in the pocket as I fear others would! I am talking about hard work use in the garage and yard where appearance is not important and tartan is unnecessary but washability is vital as they do get super filthy. The old acrylic one often mops up liquids from the floor when I crouch yet cleans up like new. Old cars are not noted for their absence of fluid leaks! Comfort is a big plus with most kilts and that is the major reason for wearing them but I can think of a few times when I would not wear one.
I will look up your hemp kilts but they sound coarse to me as hemp rope is usually harsh! PV is far better than acrylic for keeping its appearance, mine has not pilled but like acrylic it has softened with use. I have only one, a Scottish made black one of unknown material origin but probably not Marton which only makes 12 oz PV. This one is heavier and is at least 16 oz. It still looks good after a lot of wear but I had to have its pleats resewn over my bum as they used nylon to secure them and while it is super strong, if not anchored properly it lets go and it did. It cost just $8 at the local shopping centre to have all the pleats pinned to stop this running and it was done while I waited so it was hardly a big issue. PV is somewhat flammable but less than acrylic.
I have a magnificant 16 oz about 10 yard Hector Russell made to measure in Edinburgh in the Isle of Skye tartan. I have not worn it anywhere without major complements. It has Marton Mills fabric and the girls flock whenever I wear it but a disappointing aspect is a fuzz line 1/2" or so up from the bottom at the selvedge where the fabric is tucked back in on itself. It was not visible as delivered but a line soon appeared. A cheap 13 oz made to measure 8 yd kilt bought from Scotland via eBay in Hunting Sinclair tartan has developed an identical fuzz line, I have no idea of the fabric maker. It is my main dancing kilt so has been worn 100's of times. With slightly less and lighter material, it does not have the wow factor of the Hector Russell kilt. I attended "The Gathering" in Edinburgh in 2009 and got a terrific deal off Geoffrey (Tailor) when buying their top line 13 oz 8 yd hand sewn RCDS tartan kilt. Apart from being a Gathering special, they knocked 100 pounds off the price when they found I was a RCDS member! It has no sign of the fuzz line developing and I suspect it may be their own weave as I think they alone have a licence to weave RCDS the tartan.

I restore old cars and some can be seen in my profile photos as can some of my kilts. The one I am wearing besdie the red car is the old Pakistani acrylic which cost about $60 delivered with the sporran and I still use that as my day sporran without issue. The sporrans I saw on the Royal Mile were no better, in fact most were not as good. Even the very expensive ones I suspect came from the very same place in Pakistan!

I know you have had some of the US kilt offerings, you had a Sportkilt at Tallebudgera which I suspect was then brand new and probably made from the same acrylic material as the cheap Pakistani kilt that has proven indestructable but has a terrible pilling habit. I wonder how your kilt has faired. I also recall that you had a particularly nice heavy wool kilt there. What was its origin?

It is interesting chatting about these things, I get a lot of questions and have influenced the purchase of many traditional kilts. Anyway thanks for your interest and response, we should see you again in NZ.

Cheers

Bill Sides

[Sammac]

Welcome from Michigan,USA