Report on California Kilt Camp

**way2fractious** · 11th August 06, 02:05 PM

This was the third or fourth year the Black Bear Pipe Band has sponsored this seminar. It was hosted in the home of a band member. Elsie Scott-Stuehmeyer was marvelous in her knowledge, wit, patience, and enthusiasm. Our group of ten students must have goofed off too much because only one woman completed her kilt – the rest of us were close, though. Several from central California will be done before the Pleasanton games on September 2nd. The class picture shows the various tartans being worked on… and a Kilt Inspector to make sure we were doing it right!

Here is my XMarks tartan with the tapers sewn and the 33 pleats basted for pressing.

Several students are also pipers, so one evening we were treated to a pipe band concert on the beach, and the “visiting” pipers took part in some of it. Every day, chanters were heard out on the porch, and pipes were regularly played in the evenings. The BBQ dinner on day 4 was great hit, with tri-tip, sausage, chicken, salad, corn, and dessert.

A couple dozen more photos are in the album below:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shanna...pn2UFBi.bT._SU

This vacation was more sedentary than my last one, but was every bit as challenging and fun.

**Alan H** · 11th August 06, 02:19 PM

FANTASTIC...I'm jealous as hell. I want to pick your brain about pleating the X-Marks tartan to sett. I'm about *this* close to bailing out and pleating to "no stripe"...the blue background instead of to sett.

I won't be at the August Kilt/Beer night, but I will be there in September, so I hope you wear the kilt then.

I thought Elsie was from back East, didn't know she had a house in Lake Tahoe! Oh, lord, it looks like fun!

**way2fractious** · 11th August 06, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Alan H

I want to pick your brain about pleating the X-Marks tartan to sett. I'm about *this* close to bailing out and pleating to "no stripe"...

The first day of the camp I also came about *this* close to picking a stripe - any stripe - rather than pleating to the sett. But it turned out rather well after sticking with it (and finally learning some things I never could get from the book on my own

)

Originally Posted by Alan H

I thought Elsie was from back East, didn't know she had a house in Lake Tahoe! Oh, lord, it looks like fun!

You will be pleased to know that Elsie lives on the West Coast, just north of you a couple hours drive. The house in South Lake Tahoe belongs to a pipe band member.

BTW, Barb, Elsie autographed our books. That means if we ever meet up, you also will have to autograph my book.

**Panache** · 11th August 06, 03:04 PM

W2F,

Great photo album it sound like you learned and had fun (that is a combination that can't be beat). Are you going to have your X Marks kilt ready for the August Beer Night?

By the By, that California Tartan is really growing on me!

Cheers

**Prester John** · 11th August 06, 03:29 PM

How about a midwest or Ontario (which is close to me!) Kilt Camp?

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 11th August 06, 07:34 PM

Thats great W2F! Thanks for the pics, I hope to attend next year's camp.

And Alan, check out the pics I post of the XMarks BOX pleated to the yellow stripe. Gorgeous! And the large grey/white stripe is centered in the inside of the box pleat, so shows when walking, giving a really great look.

**pdcorlis** · 11th August 06, 08:46 PM

Way too cool and thanks for the photos!

**chasem** · 11th August 06, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by KiltedCodeWarrior

Thats great W2F! Thanks for the pics, I hope to attend next year's camp.

And Alan, check out the pics I post of the XMarks BOX pleated to the yellow stripe. Gorgeous! And the large grey/white stripe is centered in the inside of the box pleat, so shows when walking, giving a really great look.

where might one find this? I've tried to look through your posts a bit but I haven't found it

**Blu (Ontario)** · 11th August 06, 09:33 PM

I love the group photo... Tartan kilts are marvelous in the way the various permutations of sett and stripe can make the tartan take on different appearances.

The group looks like they've had a great time!

.

**way2fractious** · 3rd October 06, 02:18 PM

I wore the completed XMarksTheScot kilt to the Belmont Kilt Night last weekend. The evening was very cool, to the point that my toes were numbing, but the rest of me was very comfortable in long sleeve shirt, fleece vest, and about 9 meters of 13 oz wool fabric. Here is the same outfit, sans vest: