Why hand-sewn?

[Pleater]

My record of kilt making is not very long, not compared to my sewing of smocks and tunics, knitting socks, or jerseys or other traditional garments.

However, I do have a family tradition to keep up, and an inherited persnikertyness which means things have got to be right.

Some of my kilts have been remade four times as my waist has decreased from 50 to 38 inches. I started off with traditional knife pleats, but they evolved with each remaking.

I have settled on a method of which is the reverse of the Kinguisse style, and was perhaps torn between pride and pique when the last two, the black and the DPM versions were thought to be Utilikilts.

Various kilts have been machine sewn entirely, hand sewn entirely, or a mixture, with different parts being done differently to see how well they could be done. I don't sew the fell, nor the inner edges of the aprons, nor the outer folds of the pleats but use careful folding and sewing to get a flared apron and perfectly even pleats.

The techniques I have evolved for sewing by hand and machine are slightly different in order to avoid various problems inherent with the different methods of construction, but I would say that only the skill of the maker is at all important.

With care and a good technique just about every seam of a kilt could be sewn perfectly on a sewing machine, whilst a poor or careless sewer could mess up making a kilt by hand. I think it is not really the method of sewing which is important but the skills of the maker and the effort they are prepared to put into the making up, and the correcting of any errors.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

How much better is the quality, really? Is it really worth all of that extra cost? If so, then why?

One overlooked point. If the client is an "odd" shape that requires some work in the hips to keep the tartan "intact"... it's much easier to do it by hand. You can actually bend (or work) the wool around your knee while you're stitching, and it will hold the shape. Ninety-nine percent of the kilts out there really don't require that much work though, which means that machine stitching will work just fine.

[Riverkilt]

Having worked in uncertified/unlicensed industries (hearing aid sales, massage therapy, and counseling) and being in those industries as certification/licensure were adopted for the protection of the consumer, I do have respect for credentials of certification - even non-governmental ones.

I'm guessing Barb is talking about my chosen kiltmaker - Kathy Lare - since she is certified in Scotland by the Keith School of Kiltmaking, back in 1997.

This article about her two years ago sheds some light

http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/b...html?id=993283


Myself, I am most impressed by her certification. As a consumer it puts me at ease, as does the quality craftsmanship in each of the five hand sewn kilts I've purchased from her.

No doubt I could have had similar fine results from another hand sewn kiltmaker...just up front, as a new consumer, this credential was something to hang my hat on that first time out spending $500 in hard earned cash.

And, on another note, one of the joys of this board has been the genial relations between kiltmakers. Hopefully that will persevere.

I am highly credentialed myself in my own field and display them proudly. They were hard won and expensive and serve as a reassurance to the public who are meeting me for the first time seeking my services.

Ron

[The Wizard of BC]

A few words from sombody who does this for a living.

A hand sewn garment, (one done with needle and thread) if done by a professional, can be, better than one made by a sewing machine.

A professional kiltmaker can make stitches that are all completly equal in tension. They can be much smaller stitches. They can be placed to be almost invisible. They can also be placed to perfectly endure the stresses imposed on the garment.
A well hand sewn garment, Kilt or whatever, can outlast and out wear a machine sewn one.
The problem with hand stiching is that it takes an artist to do it right. It's like penmanship. We used to teach children to create very beautiful letters. They would practice for hours. It's much the same for a really good seamstress or tailor. They have the knack of making absolutly beautiful stitches.

Sewing machines came to be during the industrial revolution as a way of using labor that didn't need a 20 year apprenticship to learn their craft. As a way of increasing the production speed at which things can be made, and thereby lowering the final cost.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking garments made by machines. (That's how I make my living) But almost anyone with good hand/eye coordination can be taught to operate a sewing machine. Then if you break the sewing process up into steps so that each person only does one job, over and over, they can get very good at their job, and the final result can be very good.

Kilts on the other hand (with a couple of exceptions) are still almost always made, start to finish, by one person. This requires a very high level of artistry. You've got to know the kilt inside and out. All the way through the process.
I'm still learning. I still make changes to my design. Those changes are to make a better fitting, and longer lasting garment. But I'm new to this, and my design is young compared to a Traditional Kilt. The Traditional "Tank" has been under development for many years and Kiltmakers have learned how to construct a garment that can last for generations of daily wear. Heck, you can go to war in one of them.

The basic differance may seem to be the cost. But a hand sewn kilt made by a trained professional like Barb Tewksbury or Kathy Lare is more than just a thing of beauty. It has generations of experience built into it. Take a look at Barb's book. Just the canvas interfacing and liner take more work than some kiltmakers take for the entire kilt.
She will insert the needle crooked to start so that the fabric is skewed and twisted to align the Tartan pattern so perfectly that even from a few inches away you can't see even one thread that is not perfectly aligned.
That level of attention to detail is not always possible in our world of $15.00 jeans, in 20 colors, and every size imaginable, just sitting there on the shelf waiting for you to pick one up.

There is a place in this world for hand sewn "Tanks". There is a place for machine sewn Casual Kilts. There is a place for Contemporary Kilts such as my Freedom Kilts. There is a place for MUGS.
It is up to each of us to make the choice what type of kilt fits our own personal lifestyle. Not everyone wants or needs a "Tank". I'm just glad that there are artists out there that are willing to take the time, effort and pride to make a kilt of such profound beauty. One that can become an heirloom and still be worn with pride, years after the original investment of money.

If you have never strapped on a custom made hand sewn wool kilt, I urge you to treat yourself, just once in your life, to heaven.

[herminator]

Well, I´ve done them all: machine top-stitched, machine stiched from the inside, all by hand.

My hand stiching is not so good, especially as I cut myself in my right hand last year and it still is a pain to sew with it!

So I have tried machine stitching from the inside and it sure is a lot of work pinning and sewing very slowly and carefully. And even so I have to open up at least three or four pleats again because I´m not satisfied. And the I do all the inside construction as with a completely handsewn kilt! Finished it looks better than my handsewn kilts, no pleat stitching can be seen and there is no real difference when wearing it.

The topstitched PV kilts are the ones I have for daily wear, but then here in Germany there are not many people who would even know qwhat to look for!

[RockyR]

Ron...

I don't think Barb was referring to Kathy Lare (although we do know that she did graduate from the Keith School). I haven't seen her work in person, but from your words (and many others), I hear that she does beautiful work and this should NOT be seen as a dig on her. I have heard nothing but very good things about Kathy. This also is NOT an attack on Ron... just a friendly point / counterpoint.

I think what Barb is pointing out is the nature of the "School". If Barb and I got together and started the "American School of Kiltmaking" and "certified" each other, would that make it "legit"? She's pointing out that there's no standard for what is right and no governing body on what is taught (like any high school in the states or college). She's skeptical in the fact that you pay money, go to classes and get a "kiltmaking diploma". That's all.

While the Keith School is obviously trying to create that standard, who is to say that they're right or that the standard they're setting is the way it should be?

I know others who have said to have been trained by "master kiltmakers" (not the Keith School to my knowledge) whose final products are not sellable.

I also know that Barb was trained by Elsie's classes on how to make a hand sewn kilt (she took maticulous notes in class and with Elsie's help, wrote and published her widely acclaimed book). If you complete Elsie's class and get a certificate, does that make you "certified" or "Legit"? If so, who regulates what gets taught? What Makes Elsie right and another way wrong?

Did Geoffery (Taylor) or Alexis Malcolm graduate from the Keith School (I honestly have no idea if they did or not)?

Just some thoughts to ponder...

[Riverkilt]

Thanks Rocky,

Sorry for any unnecessary comotion. I tried to let this one lay. I really did...but what wouldn't go away for me was my perception of a dig.

I recognize that the original mention of certification was generic. But, Kathy is the only "certified by Keith School" kiltmaker in the U.S. and she and Barb are at least distant competitors.

Words like "invented" "advertising", "cynacism", "more special", and "grates" seemed like a dig.

It also seemed out of sync with the genial relations between kiltmakers on this board.

My perception, maybe Barb can clarify.

I am an intelligent, aware, adult and can well evaluate the worth of a person's certification. I can also understand both sides of the certification issue.

My sense is that certification by the Keith School of Kiltmaking is hard won and not to be belittled.

I see no reason why anyone, in any field, obtaining a certification should not advertise it to prospective customers.

Ron

[Barb T]

I certainly didn't mean this as a dig against _anyone_ who has graduated from the Keith School. And I honestly don't think of Kathy Lare and me as being "in competition". We both make kilts, and I don't resent it when someone chooses her to make a kilt.

What _does_ rankle some is when someone who knows neither of us sees the "certified" and assumes that one of us has chosen to be certified by some independent accrediting agency and the other either hasn't chosen to be certified or isn't good enough to be certified. If independent certification were available, then a lack of certification means something. For example, in many states, geologists have to be licensed, and state requirements have been set up and enacted into law. Saying that you are a licensed professional geologist means that you have met the state standards.

If, on the other hand, Hamilton College decided unilaterally in New York State (which does not require professional licensing for geologists) to define a list of criteria for being a professional geologist and then issued a certificate for all those graduating from Hamilton with a geology major that says "certified geologist", only geo majors who buy an education from Hamilton would have the opportunity to be certified. Under those circumstances, the fact that other geologists graduating in the state aren't certified doesn't mean a thing.

The same goes for kiltmaking. It means something if someone is certified. It doesn't mean _anything_ if someone _isn't_ certified. I applaud those who have the time and money to earn the Keith School's certification. I just wish that it were more widely understood that this is the _only_ way to earn that certification and that _not_ having it means something very different than it would if certification were done by an independent accrediting agency.

Barb

[Riverkilt]

Thanks for clearing up the "dig" part.

Kathy's the only one I've run across using her certification in her advertising, but that's over here stateside where she's the only one...

I certainly understand all the arguments for and against certification and how their value must be examined. Its been brought up before a few months ago.

Never heard of anyone who earned any type of certification, in any field, not promoting that to the public. Think its done to show pride in accomplishment and reassure prospective clients - not dig competitors.

Me, after researching some, I'm impressed by a certificate from the Keith School of Kiltmaking.

Think that's the only kiltmaking certification out there so far...? So, that's what we're talking about.

Ron

[Barb T]

I think absolutely that anyone who has earned a certification should display it proudly and advertise it. And what it takes to get certified at the Keith School is impressive in terms of time and commitment of resources.

My only beef is that it appears not to be generally understood that certification is unique to the Keith School - they established certification and are the only ones who certify. As far as I know, it's not possible to take an exam and/or present your work to an independent examining board, for example, in order to become certified. Given the circumstances, it doesn't seem fair to me to ding someone for not being certified or, conversely, to automatically view someone who is certified as being a better kiltmaker.

And, if something has happened in the last couple of years and certification is, in fact, more widely available, please let me know!!

Barb