Is this Kilt made right or am i just being picky

[PaddyCorbett]

Hello Everyone, i recently bought a Kilt, i liked the Tartan "Spirit of Bruce" but after getting it home to Germany I saw a few plucks and other signs of wear. I later found out it was an Ex-hire kilt and so got in contact with the retailer and we arranged that my kilt be upgraded to a new kilt (8 Yard, Wool). The replacement arrived recently and at first i thought the quality of the work was not good but it turns out it, I just i have no clue how kilts are really made. This kilt is apparently made by a kilt maker that does "all the military kilts" but i don't know who that is.

I saw what i now recognise as a "Selvedge" and thought the kilt looked raggy or badly stitched in some way. does this look ok?


I then found a part of the kilt on the the first pleat on the left edge of the top apron that was stitched and thought that it had happened by accident but i have been told this was done so that the apron sits better. Is this correct?


On the right side of the front apron where the kilt pin would go and where the kilt is folded over i saw that the kilt was also stitched and that the fold was not flush with the bottom of the kilt. Surely this should be flush?


Lastly i have discovered in the pleats that the kilt is not on piece but two pieces of cloth is that normal?


I have added some pictures (same ones as shown above in larger sizes) so maybe someone can tell me if this is made correctly or if im being too picky or have no clue
pictures here : https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiJtBVw5JQpmoIw-SkUc_8HqzvKPzA

Also any info regarding this tartan would be interesting as my searches online have not revealed much about it.

[Mathew MacKillop]

From my non-professional view, the selvedge is normal (pic # 1), as is the little bit of apron sewn down along the edge (pic # 2). Pic # 3 does not look correct to me, but pic #4 is also normal since it likely started out as 4 yards of double-width tartan, cut and restitched to make 8 yards.

[The Wizard of BC]

Can you share the name of the maker with us please.
I will address your picture in order.

The Selvedge edge is a normal tuck selvedge found on fabrics produced on a rapier loom. The little 'fuzz' you see are the ends of the yarns. This is normal.

The little tucked up and sewn 'hem' is also normal. This is done to keep the "apron tips" from hanging down and showing under the apron. This is normal.

On the Apron facing of this kilt you can see the line of machine stitching so this is not a hand-stitched kilt. It does hang down a bit more than you would expect on a hand-stitched kilt but about average for machine stitched.

It is normal for kilts to be made from one 4 yard piece of fabric that has been halved along it length and joined to create an 8 yard long piece. The maker did not align the stripes very well. I also expect that on the other side you will see machine stitching and perhaps serging. Can you show us the other side of the join please.

I have searched the Scottish Register of Tartan and also the Scottish Tartans Authority and can find no listing under the name Spirit of Bruce. Is it possible that this could go by another name?

[jhockin]

Can you share the name of the maker with us please.

Steve: the OP said: "This kilt is apparently made by a kilt maker that does "all the military kilts" but i don't know who that is."
( just another one of "the joys of the golden years", to sometimes miss, or confuse things

[Father Bill]

Steve: the OP said: "This kilt is apparently made by a kilt maker that does "all the military kilts" but i don't know who that is."
( just another one of "the joys of the golden years", to sometimes miss, or confuse things

Well for a large part, in Canada... it's Steve.

[PaddyCorbett]

Hi thanks for the quick feedback, as i mentioned im not sure who is the manufacturer of the kilt, i got the kilt from kilts4less. I visited there outlet in Greenock, Scotland, they have a website (kilts4less.com) and the kilt i bought can be seen here http://bit.ly/2hapdbp. Overall im pleased with the service just a bit unsure if i should hold onto this kilt or send it back.

The join is hidden in a pleat which stands up a bit but maybe only needs a good press


From inside the join looks like this


I added both pics and a few others to the link https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiJtBVw5JQpmoIw-SkUc_8HqzvKPzA

Thanks again

[The Wizard of BC]

What I meant is who did you buy it from. We seldom know the name of the person who actually did the sewing.

But don't rely too much on what they say about military kilts as the current Royal Regiment kilts are machine sewn but hand finished. Military contracts go to the lowest bidder.

The tailtell signs of a well made kilt are found on the outside of the part where the kilt is tapered and sewn down. We call this the "Fell". A high quality, hand stitched kilt will not have a single visible stitch. The lines of the Tartan will be within one yarn of perfect alignment. The pattern if pleated to Sett will almost perfectly reproduce the full Tartan pattern that you see on the front apron. All the Tartan elements will be present and no vertical stripe should end in a visible spearpoint half way up the taper. The same Tartan stripe that is centered on the apron will also be centered in the back.

If the kilt is pleated to the stripe, the line used should go up the center of each pleat.

Then, the most important things in a well made kilt will be hidden behind the lining inside the kilt. It is almost impossible to know for sure if it is well made or not as all that construction is hidden.

But - If you grab the two top buckles and pull them apart you should see no stretching across the back of the pleats. None, nada, nothing. There is a construction element called 'stabilizer' built into the rear of the kilt that should take up all the stress when you wear the kilt. The stress of strapping it on and moving in the kilt should never be transferred to the outer Tartan fabric or the stitching.
You should also see no distortion of the fabric across the front of the kilt when you strap the kilt on. Again, none. There is another construction element built into the kilt called "Interfacing" This should absorb the stress much like the stabilizer so the outer Tartan fabric can drape naturally without distortion.
If you feel with your fingers up and down the inner lining you should be able to feel where the pleats have been cut-away in the back of the pleats. This is to keep the back thinner and not have 'pillow butt".
And finally, the kilt should fit correctly.
When the top strap is cinched into your anatomical waist, or right up under your ribs, the hem should be at the top of your kneecap.
The outer apron should overlap the under apron completely. You should see no under apron peeking out from behind the outer apron.
When you have the kilt on, the bottom of the area in the back where the pleats are sewn down, should be right about at the crest of your hips and butt. You can reach with your hand, around the back and feel where this is.
And finally the pleats in the rear should hang totally straight, parallel, and there should be no 'shower curtain' wave visible in the pleats.

[Barb T]

I wrote a post a long time ago on those little bits of "turn-up" that non-kiltmakers think are boo-boos or the sign of a not-so-professional kiltmaker:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...de-kilt-40778/

If your kilt has these turned-up parts, it's an indication that your kiltmaker does, in fact, know what he/she is doing.

Making a kilt from two pieces of tartan is the rule rather than the exception, because most tartan is woven double width. If a kiltmaker ordered 8 yards of tartan, that would be enough for 2 kilts. So, since most kiltmakers only do one-off kilts, they order only 4 yards, split it, and do a hidden join. A well-done join is hidden inside a pleat, as you show. This is not shoddy workmanship - any professional kiltmaker will do this. It doesn't affect the hang or the swing, and you'd only notice it if you were specifically looking for it.

The selvedge is nothing that a kiltmaker has control over - some are perfect, some are good, some are OK, and some are dreadful....

But, the fold on the fringe edge should be flush.

So, yeh, mostly, you have no clue.... ;-) ;-) ;-) But!!! That's why you ask questions, and now you know.

[PaddyCorbett]

Hi Barb T, Yeah you're right i'm a complete newbie to owning a kilt and I don't have a clue!!

I've wore them many times but they were always hired and you never pay attention to the details. As I just recently purchased my kilts I found myself going over them with a microscope to see if they were in ok.

All new to me but very interesting stuff and good to know thanks!!

Good to get feedback form real kiltmakers that the things im unsure about are really supposed to be there.

Looks like the only issue really is the issue on the folded edge of the front apron. Now i guess i just have to decide if the small imperfection on the front apron bothers me that much that i go through sending it back to be corrected or replaced.

[Michael A]

I have two 5 yard kilts from kilts4less. They are the kilts I wear mostly to work (I wear one every day). They are made by Glenisla Kilts (you can google them) who do indeed have an MOD contact. Since my two are 5 yard and not too expensive (£179 and £249 respectively for jet black and the "rare" MacKinlay modern sett), I wasn't expecting much. They have no interfacing and the stress is indeed borne by the tartan, alas (but the relatively light weight probably mitigates that somewhat). I don't know how they make their 8 yard kilts, however. The pleat stitches are invisible though. They say it is 16Oz, but the fabric must not be from Lochcarron as it has a slightly fluffy feel when compared to the Strome on my hand stitched kilt, but the fabric is still quite substantial even though I think it must be from another mill.

I am in bed about to nod off now, so I'll post some pics of the details tomorrow.