Drawstring Belted Plaid

[Bugbear]

If you have a military surplus somewhere close by, they should have parachute cord by the foot. At least all the ones I've ever been to do.

~Yeti

Thanks Yeti, and good luck to you and String on the belted plaid you are working on now.

[Bugbear]

Somewhere, I reported that my three belted plaids were with the sewing lady being fitted with the drawstrings. I also reported that the sewing lady's husband was having open heart surgery and all of that was on hold for a while.

I'm thinking a lot now about getting some extra long shirts to go with the plaids. Perhaps as long as to within three or so inches of the knee. Kind of like what the Scots would have done..., but with the plaid covering the shirt and the shirt not sticking out the bottum.

Guess that's an update for this thread.

[Bugbear]

Guess I could tell you what colors the plaids ar.

The first one, which is the nices one, is a dark, dark blue with black, and I think there is more blue than black. Guess it's a little like Black Watch without green or something like that.
The second one is a dark brown with a lighter brown. All of these are kind of two color generic paterns.

The third is a dark gray and light gray. This fabric and the brown fabric are lighter weight wool fabric.

I like the first for it's feel. The other two aren't too bad either. I kind of wish I had a brown tweed to work with.

[thescot]

Why not sew on belt loops? Then you can use a belt and take it out when you take off the kilt.

I use a web belt to hold my breachan feile up and cover it with jacket, kilt belt etc. so it doen't show. I've even heard that some early kilts had loops for that purpose.

[Bugbear]

Why not sew on belt loops? Then you can use a belt and take it out when you take off the kilt.

I use a web belt to hold my breachan feile up and cover it with jacket, kilt belt etc. so it doen't show. I've even heard that some early kilts had loops for that purpose.

Thank you for this suggestion.

I just happen to be considering this. These plaids will be being used as blankets at night in the winter... I will bump the description down here after I finnish this post. The drawstring is to make the pleating an instant thing, so I can take my blanket as I get up, draw the pleats, and put it on. I'll bump the description now and finnish.

[Bugbear]

Here's what I want the plaid to do. I'm planning on putting a loop of thread or fabric where I want each pleat to be. The paracord goes through the loops, then the pleats can be drawn together kind of like opening a curtain. This idea comes from Matthew Newsome's albanach.org in an artical called "Did the Belted Plaid Have a Drawstring?" http://www.albanach.org/drawstring.htm
I will be using the plaid as a blanket/ sleeping bag by folding it in half width wise. It will be twelve feet long and so six feet when folded.
I also use wearing blankets a lot during the winter, so the plaid will probably be used in this way from time to time. I want to be able to put the plaid on fairly quickly because often I will be gathering up my blanket and going outside early in the morning to keep citrus and other plants from freezing. More often it will be to stop the cats from fighting in the un-heated end of my house.
Another way I will use the plaid is to hang on the wall either in the winter or summer for a little extra sound and heat insulation. I tend to only heat and cool one end of my thin walled house and I've found that hanging my wearing blankets and that type of thing on the wall makes things a little quieter and a little easier to heat and cool. Keep in mind I live in the desert.

I wore a belted plaid, not too long ago, with the pleats sewn in. As I put it on, it reminded me of a robe without sleeves. This is very much what I want to have. I don't want the pleats sewn in though because of the use as a blanket, so the draw string is the practical answer.

I have experimented with using a heavy robe as a winter blanket, but it isn't quite big enough. However, in the spirit of the robe, I now plan on making a belt from the same fabric as the plaid. Perhaps I could put belt keepers on the plaids, but it wouldn't work as the drawstring for a number of reasons. For example, the drawstring needs to be almost as long as the plaid, so nine feet or so. Also, there would have to be one keeper loop for each pleat and that might be a bit bulky. I like the spirit of the idea though.

[Brian F]

I just recently put a drawstring into the BP that String bought me, and I enjoy it. I haven't worn it around a lot, but I plan to soon, so I can break it in. (Gotta' get that not-new look for reenacting!)

~Yeti

[Bugbear]

I just recently put a drawstring into the BP that String bought me, and I enjoy it. I haven't worn it around a lot, but I plan to soon, so I can break it in. (Gotta' get that not-new look for reenacting!)

~Yeti

Congratulations Yeti. String posted somewhere about that, but I didn't know about you putting the drawstring. Goodluck.

[Bugbear]

Guess I should get a long nightshirt of some sort to go with the belted plaids. I think I might look into some other materials that can still be pleated with the drawstring. I guess for what I'm using them for, they don't have to be traditional...

[Bugbear]

Speaking of traditional, I've seen several post saying that the belted plaid was pleated in the front, as well as, the back. Is it OK if I leave an apron-like front at each end that isn't pleated?