Greatkilt Question

[MacHummel]

In the past when I did some reenactment stuff I used to make great kilts for some of the guys and found that if I sewed the pleats down about 5inches they were always able to put their kilts on standing up and it was easier to get it all together and travel. I haven't worn a great kilt in a while maybe I'll pull mine out of the closet soon.

[UmAnOnion]

For this I can't imagine doing it without the pleats sewn in.

Uhmm... how do I say this without the benefit of pictures or video... ok...

Alright, picture the great kilt as a giant square of cloth that is just pinched in the middle from the sewn pleats. With the cloth behind you, take an upper corner of the cloth in each hand. Hold your arms straight and mostly skyward as if you are making the "Y" in the "YMCA" dance from the 1970's. Shift your arms and butt so that you can get the pleated section to land roughly where it should go. From there, bend over and hunch your back so that you can drop your arms and the cloth won't slide any. Feel free to make the "M" from the "YMCA" dance, but stop there. If you make the "C", you will create a mess, and have to start over. Let the top of the cloth go over your head, it will help to hold it in place. While in that hunchback-looking-for-clovers position, grab your belt and run it behind you. While still bent over, wrap the two sides to make the front approns. If you are doing it right, you should look like a curved tartan burrito. Buckle, standup, and tweak. That's how I do it.

Another option is to put the belt on first but very loose. Spread your legs wide so the belt stays up. Pull the cloth thru the loose belt same way you pull a bath towel thru the towel bar in your bathroom. Tweak and adjust and pull and shift until everything is where you want it, then tighten the belt. You may find all the "extra" cloth that is above the belt will get in your way with this method, so you can take all that and throw it over your head and shoulders (which puts you basically back to the first method).

YMMV, and it takes practice to get this type of zen. Once you get it, it will come as easy as putting on a shirt. Ok, not quite that easy, but at least we now have a clear idea why the celts ran into battle naked.

-ian

[Riverkilt]

Found an article on the Scottish Tartans Authority site that said, or speculated, that the old timers had beltloops on the inside of their great kilts with a cord running through the loops. They apparently could pull on the cord to automatically pleat it up, made for an easy strap on and go in times of emergency, or just plain convenience. I'm still rereading to try and grasp the concept...


Ron

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Ron,

Give this article a read on the possibility of a drawstring in a belted plaid:
http://albanach.org/drawstring.htm

Aye,
Matt

[mudd]

This thread has gotten me thinking I’d like to get me one of those.

So, any recommendations on good places purchase? Or, do you just get a bunch of fabric and cut it in half and sew it together to make it taller?

Also, is there a preferred range of Tartans that one uses with a Great Kilt?

[bubba]

If you get double width the only sewing you might want to do is hem the raw edges. It's really a blanket pleated up and belted on.

[auld argonian]

If you want a demonstration try this:

There's a website that I just found out about called youtube.com (www.youtube.com). Go there and search on the keyword "kilt".

Aside from a LOT of other stuff you will find a two part video that features some re-enactor dude at some Ren-Faire or another who is demonstrating how to don a great kilt. If you cannae understand a word that he's saying join the club...it's at once instructive and funny.

Who says that the internet doesn't fufill a useful function?

Best

AA

[646guy]

Um.....i'll take my pleats sewn....just reading this I knew I wouldn't have the patience to do it....

[furrycelt]

So, any recommendations on good places purchase? Or, do you just get a bunch of fabric and cut it in half and sew it together to make it taller?

I guess 60 inches is the widest you are going to find wool. For my height and build that is plenty. For a tall chap, it would still work; you would have enough fabric to arrange it to look like any great kilt, but it wouldn't be enough to wrap up over your head in cold weather (and it could get snug if arranged into a sash fashion unless you are skinny).

As for joining cloth... I will let the experts in this forum address that. I've not tried anything like that. I will say that if it is possible, have the "joint" fall at your waistline or slightly above. That way it will be mostly hidden.

Also, is there a preferred range of Tartans that one uses with a Great Kilt?

Nah. Pick anything you want. Though if you are wearing the great kilt as an historical item and you are trying to fit a certain time period, it would make sense to not choose a tartan that was invented in the 1960's for example.

I think great kilts are just... great! I recommend that everyone at least try one out if they can.

-ian

[mbhandy]

Has anyone found a post where it shows how to make a BELTED PLAID DRAWSTRING KILT?

MrBill