Questions for Beerbecue, Elkdoc, et al - home kiltmakers

[Doc Hudson]

OK gents, here are the questions.

Where did you learn to sew?

Did you know how to sew before starting on your kiltmaking experiment?

I have a copy of Barb T's The Art of Kiltmaking, but it is written in a foreign language. I don't speak seamstress. Any suggestions, other than pestering the daylights out of Barb, on how to understand the directions? I can do leatherwork, make a mean haggis, bake biscuits to make you hurt yourself, and can carry on a conversation in passable ballistic, but this sewing talk is making me feel like an idiot.

[Hamish]

I know JUST where you are coming from Doc. I believe I could get to grips with sewing (just as long as there were no calculations to be made), but I'll never, ever, get to grips with computing and computer-speak!

[beerbecue]

I used Barb's book, and I did contact her for tips on quite a few things. She is very helpful and a very nice person. I could never have finished it without her input and guidance.

I asked a lot of questions here, too.

The important stitches are in the appendix. I did a lot of internet searches on sewing in general, including info on needles, etc. I just tried to learn as much general stuff as I could from the internet.

I had a hard time at first, but as you build the kilt, and follow along with the book, it goes along well.

I had only done some very simple sewing (repair stuff), and that was 20 years ago. This was my first article of clothing. I didn't have any problems once I really got into it.

[bubba]

I taught myself to sew using the Readers Digest Complete Book of Sewing. Excellent book for someone starting from zero.

[bear]

I read the 9 page sewing machine manual. The rest I found on line or figured out for myself.

[Doc Hudson]

I read the 9 page sewing machine manual.

That works if you have a new sewing machine. The newest one in my house is over twenty years old, and the other is over forty. I doubt if either has a manual still in existence.

[bubba]

Doc, if they're Singers you can probably still get copies of the manuals from Singer

[The Wizard of BC]

Bear, reading the machine manual is cheating. No self-respecting man would read the instructions.

Seriously, the only thing you have to remember about sewing is that it is like every other profession, it has it's own language. You don't have to know the language unless you are talking to another sewing person.

In my shop we use the truly technical terms like "in-pleats" and "out pleats" "round pocket things" and "square pocket things" "The big ruler" and "the little ruler".
Everything else is pretty basic.

Forget the terms in the begining. Try to understand the concept behind what is happening. The best suggestion I could make to someone trying to understand how a kilt is made is to get some cheap plaid fabric and some thick upolstery thread. find a big needle and start sewing. To start, make the stitches big, make the pleats big, then wrap the thing around yourself and look in the mirror. Then rip it all out and start again. Make the stitches smaller this time. Try to make your stitch lines straighter.

Don't get fancy, this whole exercise is to get used to pushing a needle thru fabric and see what it does.
Each attempt should take only a couple of hours in an evening.

After two or three practice runs you should be ready to move on to your tartan fabric. But even on the real stuff don't be afraid to rip out a line of stitches. Put them in - rip them out.

No one ever does it perfect the first time.

[MDR-V300]

I learned how to sew *after* I finished my first kilt. It was all stumbling in the dark until I saw how it all fit together, and what I'd actually done.


http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/chegc/kiltsite/page2.htm

I followed these instructions which - while good - aren't the most novice-friendly. Intimidating, they are.

Trust me, it'll all make much more sense when you look back on it. Your second kilt will be much less daunting, and you can aim for more professionalism, etc. You can, with time, forget the instructions and tinker to make things hang better and so forth. You're only limited by your ingenuity.

As for using the sewing machine itself, I found that slowly turning the knob whilst watching the insides go was very illuminating. It's really impressive to figure out just how the bugger works, and to learn that there really isn't any old sailor in there tying a bunch of knots. I don't recommend this method, though, because it doesn't actually help you sew any better, and... everybody thinks you're crazy.

Just don't be afraid to rip a lot of stitches. A LOT of stitches. It's all part of the fun.

I don't know any of the terms either, and I sew everyday at work. Who cares?

[elkdoc]

Sorry Doc Hudson... I think you have me confused with someone else. I have no business with needle and thread whatsoever. It just sounds like a recipe for disaster, personally.

More power to those who can do it, though.