The Art of Kiltmaking

**Steve Ashton** · 26th June 10, 10:36 AM

For anyone who is interested in making a Full Traditional Style Kilt, or wishes to understand what goes into the making of these works of art, there is only one source.

"The Art of Kiltmaking"
by Barbara Tewksbury & Elsie Stuehmeyer
Printed by Celtic Dragon Press
ISBN 0-9703751-0-7
Second printing 2007

The author, known here on X Marks as Barb T., is renowned for her willingness to teach, help, and mentor aspiring kiltmakers.

To order a copy please contact

Celtic Dragon Press
P.O. Box 244
Deansboro, NY
USA 13328

Or visit the website: http://www.celticdragonpress.com

The Book is also carried by many of our advertisers.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 26th June 10, 12:35 PM

And don't forget the FREE supplement to The Art of Kiltmaking, which Barb and I authored, Making a Traditional Box Pleated Kilt, which is available for free download, here:
http://scottishtartans.org/boxpleat.html

(We also keep a good supply of TAoK in stock in our giftshop).

**Kiltman** · 27th June 10, 05:02 PM

Barb's book and the supplement are must haves if you wish to know about kiltmaking on any level. Even if you just wear one, you are enriched by the knowledge of what goes into the making of a kilt. I don't know how many copies of Barb's book I've bought and then sold to aspiring kiltmakers, but there are many copies in the Spokane area being used by mothers of dancers and others.

**Standard** · 27th June 10, 05:19 PM

Matt, thanks for the link to the suppliment. TAoKM is a must have if you are planning on buying a bespoke kilt. Knowing how a kilt is "built" even if you have no intention of making one yourself is invaluable information. The book certainly gave me good insights into the kilt before I purchased my first kilt.

**sydnie7** · 28th June 10, 07:04 AM

I've also gifted the book and treasure my own copy. Standard's point is perfect -- the book will allow you to converse knowledgeably with your kiltmaker even if you never take up the needle personally.

Side note: I used to work for a publishing company that produced do-it-yourself repair manuals for cars, motorcycles, and a few oddities. At book shows, when people dismissed us with "I don't fix my own car," we always recommended they buy the book, smear some oil on the cover, break the spine, dog-ear a few pages, and then leave it on the front seat when they took the car in for service!

I've thanked them before and I'll thank them again: Barb, Elsie, and Matt have made an incalculable contribution to our clan and the kilted world at large!

**OC Richard** · 14th July 10, 05:47 AM

Yes this book is a must-have for any kiltwatcher!

The section with all the photos showing well-made kilts and poorly-made kilts is an eye-opener. The next Highland Games I went to I spent a lot of time looking at the kilts around me with a much higher level of understanding. Wow there are a lot of badly made kilts out there! Mostly in pipe bands I will say.

One curious aspect of the book is that it discusses two methods of pleating the kilt, to the sett/tartan and to the line/stripe.

It mentions the "unfortunate lawnchair effect" when there is no strong verticle element present in the pleats.

However, amongst pipe bands, this very sort of pleating is very common, either pleating to an open area of the tartan which has no vertical element at all, or pleating to an area of the tartan which has a very weak vertical line. At distance, both look the same: the pleats show only horizonal lines.

I have heard this method of pleating called "pleating to the block".

Interesting that it's not mentioned in this book.

Here it is:

**fluter** · 14th July 10, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

I have heard this method of pleating called "pleating to the block".

It's considered a special case of pleating to the stripe.

Sometimes it works---the Isle of Skye example is popular. Sometimes it may tip over over the line into the DLCE.

**MacMillans son** · 14th July 10, 11:45 AM

I chose to have my Lochcarron Strome MacMillan Old Weathered pleated to the olive/brown block in order to tone down the fuschia a bit. It looks great, and achieved my objective! My kilt maker is Donna Willy of Pleasonton Ca., a friend and dedicated student of Ms. Stuemeyer, so I am sure she would not have created something that she felt was a kilting faux pas.

Although I have a photobucket account, I have not mastered getting photos from my computer onto it and then moved to Xmarks. I must commit to taking the time to figure it out!

I'll try to get that done today.

Brooke

**xman** · 14th July 10, 04:58 PM

My copy just landed. I breezed past the first three chapters as mostly what I've discovered on my own and then hit Chapter 4. I'm so pleased with how richly informative this book is. My questions are being answered now on literally every page. I can't wait to digest it in more depth once my little man has gone to bed. I am very close now to my first tartan cloth purchase.

Thanks Barb & Elsie!

X

**MacMillans son** · 14th July 10, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by MacMillan's son

I chose to have my Lochcarron Strome MacMillan Old Weathered pleated to the olive/brown block in order to tone down the fuschia a bit. It looks great, and achieved my objective! My kilt maker is Donna Willy of Pleasonton Ca., a friend and dedicated student of Ms. Stuemeyer, so I am sure she would not have created something that she felt was a kilting faux pas.

Although I have a photobucket account, I have not mastered getting photos from my computer onto it and then moved to Xmarks. I must commit to taking the time to figure it out!

I'll try to get that done today.

Brooke

Ok I think I got it!

Here is another example of "pleating to the block" (olive/brown)
I'll post to the photo forum when I get some with it on!

Brooke