Ironing and Pressing a Buzz Kidder

[Bugbear]

I use a board - it is the stiffening from inside a bolt of material - to press individual pleats - it enables the pleat to be laid out flat even if it would normally fall over the edge of the ironing surface.

Another advantage is that it keeps the pleat separate from the rest, so it does not pick up the shape of a fold or wrinkle from material beneath it.

Anne the Pleater

I'll have to look into that, thanks Pleater.

[Bugbear]

Boy guys, All the BK kilts I've seen on display at vendor booths seem to be wrinkled too. If the folks that sell them can't spruce them up for display its gotta be a chore to iron them. Have you thought of using glue and heavy rocks?

I had success with my cotton Utilikilts. After wash would hang the kilt on the shower rod from three in-line hangars. Then after pulling the pleats into shape by hand would hang a weighted clip from each pleat.

Made the clips by duct taping two half ounce fishing weights to each clip. You can buy bulk clips in big box stores or even use clothes pins.

What I liked was that the technique used the property of cotton that has it hold the shape it drys in. The weights pull the pleats straight while the fabric dries. When dry, the kilt and pleats don't need any ironing.

Ron

Ya, I don't know why they would have the wrinkled kilts on display at the Buzz Kidder booths; they don't come that way when you buy them. Sounds like poor salesmenship...

I don't have the weights and clips to try that, but I think it would work just fine. Although, I think you would have to hang the kilt in a zig-zag way because of the taper at the top.

I have let the kilt dry part way then pressed it dry with a dry press cloth and not as much steam. That works well, but if it's already dry...

Like I said, I lay it out across my table-like clothes drying rack and arrange all the pleats to dry mine. The top of the kilt has to hang over the edge because of the taper, though.

I didn't get this kilt because I expected it to be easy to press, though. It does happen to be the same color as most of the clay I work with...

[Bugbear]

I guess I should also put it here that I do not use a regular ironing board to press any of my kilts: that would probably break the ironing board.

Instead, I have a large ironing mat that you might use on a table top when traviling. I put that on a kitchen cart with a stainless steel top. The cart is sturdy enough that I can stand on it without breaking it. On the sides of the cart are wings that fold up and lock in place making the surface twice as wide; the wings are wood. From back to front, the cart is just wide enough to lay out a kilt from the fell to the bottom of the kilt with the fell to the top hanging over the back of the cart. It has to do that anyway because of the taper.

The middle of the cart that has the metal surface is wide enough to hold the pleated part of the kilt, but I can also slide the mat around to change the placement of the kilt. The cart also has wheels and I can turn and move the whole thing if I need to. All of that makes it a lot easier to work on the kilts.

[Moosedog]

Ted, between you and Pleater you may have developed a wonderful new contraption---the "No-Fail Stainless Swiveling Kilt Ironing Platform, with Removeable Pleat Forms." I'll bet you'd find a few takers on the forum.

Moosedog

[Bugbear]

It's also good for slicing and dicing.

[Cherub]

and Making Juliene Fries...

[Bugbear]

Cooking in a kilt...

I like to wear plaid shirts with the kakhi kilt. I don't think I have an actual tartan shirt, but basically it's putting the tartan on top.

The other day I was at a good will store, and I found a wool tie that was made in Ireland and it is tartan of some sort. This will be nice for my kakhi kilt. I think the tartan had green and blue and brown in it.

If I can get pictures, I will post them and we can play guess that tie tartan.

[Bugbear]

Glad that worked out, Mael Coluim. I should get one of those steam duhickies; I just have a thing that is like an electric kettle.