Sewing two 27/30" lengths together

[Russ Cochiolo]

All,
I searched the forum and find no answer to the question, "What stitch was used to sew two lengths of handwoven tartan together to create a Great Kilt?
Thanks, Russ.

[Pleater]

I've not seen that either.

Perhaps there are no authenticated great kilts in existence.

As the handwoven selvage would be 'perfect', consisting of a series of loops, the simplest of joinings would do the job.

Putting the two edges together and oversewing, whip stitch it is sometimes called, would make a flat join which would be hardly detectable after a while. When it was opened out it would hold the two pieces edge to edge, and it is easy to ease the fabric to match up any irregularities in the weaving - within reason.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Russ Cochiolo]

Thanks Anne the Pleater. I was thinking whip stitch but needed confirmation. Right after the Holidays my loom will get warped with a Henderson (my wifes family) plaid. Thanks again. Russ.

[Orvis]

In an effort to increase the authenticity of my 18th c. Highland living history clothing, I've sewn together two joined plaids, so I'll chime in here to describe how I did it (with advice from Figheadair - an X-Marker and tartan scholar) as to how original 18th c. plaids were joined and finished, according to his observation).

My tools were blunt tapestry needles, wool yarn for sewing - ravelled from the end edge of the tartan (this on the advice of Figheadair), as wool yarn is strong yet slightly stretchy and does not pull the fabric threads apart like, say, linen thread might do). Try to match the colors along the joined selvedges as much as possible to make them inconspicuous. You'll also need a small pair of scissors for nipping. I did the joining of my plaid on my dining room table (for which you'll want a cover to prevent the needle from marring the wood). You might want a pair of reading or magnification glasses, too. If you can get a clamp-on elbow-jointed work light to illuminate your work area, so much the better.

For the plaid, I started with an eight-yard single width piece of tartan with a selvedge on each edge. I divided the eight-yard length into two four-yard lengths. I laid these side-by-side on the long axis of the table-top until they were about evenly matched in length, and then I shifted them slightly to match the sett on one edge to the other. You don't want the edges to overlap - you're going to butt-stitch them together. You'll also want to lay out the fabric so that it's entirely relaxed - no tugging or pulling from the ends or the edges - to make your job easier. I ended up having to put the extension leaf in my table (to lengthen it) and draping the ends of the fabric over chairs at each end to eliminate length-wise tugging.

I threaded the tapestry needle and started in the middle and worked toward one end. When I finished that, I again returned to the middle and joined the other end. I did it this way since it's easier to manage the lengths of fabric, and by going first one way and then the other, it is easier to get the setts from each edge to match up.

I used a whip stitch and counted two threads in from the edge of piece #1, inserted needle and brought it out two threads away from the edge of piece #2, pulling the stitch tight. Then I brought the needle over to piece #1, counted 3-4 threads up from the last stitch, and inserted the needle two threads in from the edge of piece #1, brought it out two stitches from the edge of piece #2 (the thread crosses over slightly diagonally), pulled it tight, and so on.

Once in a while (about every inch or so for me), I had to slightly manipulate the edges so the setts continued to match - they have a tendency to "crawl" due to the diagonal nature of each stitch cross-over. If you do it right, the sett on the joined plaid will look like one uninterrupted sett. When you must renew your sewing yarn, simply leave yourself enough of a loose end of the first piece to take a stitch and tie if off firmly. Then thread your new piece of yarn on the needle, backtrack a stitch or two, and carry on smartly as before.

When you're finished, there will be a slight "ridge" along the length of the joining seam. You can eliminate that by using a steam iron to simply shoot a jet of steam onto the seam (you needn't actually touch it with the iron), and this will relax the fabric enough so that it will lay flat.

With regard to the ends, Figheadair observed that the ends of 18th c. plaids were finished, not left raw. in my case, I simply folded a short length (about an inch) of each end under the body of the plaid and sewed it down using a running stitch done in such a way that the sewing yarn wasn't visible from the outside - or, you may want to finish each end with a double fringe.

I have not yet attached inner loops and strings so I can don the plaid standing up, but that's on my agenda for this winter. On each of my plaids the stitching seam is virtually invisible - I have to feel for it in order to find it.

As to the type of stitching used to join plaids in the 17th and 18th c., I don't know. In James D. Scarlett's book, "The Tartan Weaver's Guide" (London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 1985), he says a herringbone stitch was used to join the two lengths of a plaid. This stitch is explained and illustrated in Kathleen Kannick's "The Lady's Guide to Plain Sewing, Book II, by a Lady" (Springfield OH: Kannick's Korner, 1997, p. 23). I also believe the Holland stitch (also explained in this book, p. 25) could be used, since it meant for joining two selvedges edge-to-edge. As for me, I stuck with the "whip" stitch (also called a "hem" stitch). If you cannot obtain the cited book, you can probably find depictions of them in any how-to sewing book or by googling them on the web. I hope that I haven't been preaching to the choir, since you are a weaver.

I hope the above helps.

Le meas dhuit,
Gerry

[Orvis]

I forgot to mention: It took me about five hours of uninterrupted work to join a four-yard plaid and finish the ends. And my fingertips were somewhat sore - just unaccustomed to that much needlework!

[Tartan Tess]

Orvice
I would like very much to hear about placements of the loops when you do it.

[Russ Cochiolo]

Gerry,
Thanks for sharing your information and experience. It is appreciated. Russ

[figheadair]

Just come across this thread. Orvice's answer is pretty fullsome. Anne, there are a number of surviving plaids, either complete or portions thereof, which confirm that herringbone and whip stitch were used. I suspect the difference being the ability of the sewer. Like orvice I use a whip stitch which is faster and functional but I do like the visual effect of the herringbone stitch.

I have pictures of a number of C18th joined plaids and the method of joining will go on the list for another paper.

[Pleater]

I smiled when I read Orvice's post - and tried to recall when I did five hours of uninterrupted anything, except perhaps sleep, once in a while.

I suspect that the choice of stitch for joining fabric would be determined by the amount of spare time the sewer could glean from the daily round of essential work.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[figheadair]

I suspect that the choice of stitch for joining fabric would be determined by the amount of spare time the sewer could glean from the daily round of essential work.

Time was something that there was a lot of, especially long winter evenings.

I think it's more likely to have been a factor of the amount of space/light available to work with combined with the practical vs desired outcome.