The tartan arrived!

So glad the cloth came today so you can be thinking about it while you finish the other projects! Barbara in cool, 72o SC

Good stuff, isn't it! Lochcarron is the make we are using for my pal Tony's kilt. His is the heavier weight.

Beautiful beautiful fabric, Beverly. Can't wait to see you work your magic on it!

-Irene

It really is wonderful! I think this is medium weight, the uncut eight yards comes in at 6 pounds 8 ounces. I am not at all sure I would be able to handle 16 ounce tartan, my hands would object... strenuously.

I will scan a complete sett-and-a-half, and print several copies of it to exact scale. I can then work out the size of each pleat-face on paper. For some reason that worked for me better than using chalk or pins on the fabric last time. The setts are about 6.5", I'm hoping for 9 pleats per sett, of just under 3/4" each. Makes for a lot of pleats, but that is what makes a kilt swing so beautifully.

I will take measurements on DSIL soon. There is a lot of math to do before ever setting needle to fabric. It's like a puzzle, I love the challenge.

It is much darker "in person" than that picture on their web site. Black, very dark blue, dark green, and red. I'm really glad I have the lighted magnifier.

I so admire your talents Beverly. it's going to be gorgous!

betsey

ps-what is a sett??

A sett is one complete pattern of the stipes in a tartan. I will be "pleating to the sett", so that when done, the unpleated apron and the pleated back look identical, even though there is several yards of fabric in the pleated portion. .

Before I'm done, you'll all either know way more than you ever wanted to about kilt-making or have me killfiled. ;-> See DGD's McKellar kilt on my site. No construction pictures, but you can see the pattern repeat front and back.

Oh yes, there's nothing like the feel of quality fabric in your hands. I'd be scared to death to mess up, but then, as you remarked, most of the work is done on paper and there is little cutting. That, I guess, makes errors only a waste of time but not of material.

I went to your page with the Mc Kellar kilt; scrolling down through all the steps, I couldn't help but wishing I had somebody who'd 'take all that trouble' for me. But then I remembered that I had once: both my grandmas would sew. My dad's mom was more for the basic stuff; I remember she made me a winter coat and cap, the cap with very soft rabbit fur around the edge. Oh, and a summer dress of some pale blue synthetic with a Dupioni-like fall and look, with wide strips of lace for shoulder straps. My other grandma made and embroidered for me - among other things - a brown linen dress with large flowers on the hemline. And I hated it! Because it was a dark chocolate brown! Can you imagine that? Kids can be so stupid! Anyway, I now remember them and their kindness, and hope that they knew in their lifetimes that one day I'd be grateful.

Anyway, have fun with your quality stuff, and perhaps take it easy lest you ruin your hands and eyes. ;-)

U.

or

Except that there actually is quite a bit of cutting, just not in the usual sense of cutting to a paper pattern. I have updated the kilt pages today with lots more pictures.

Ah, you must have been peeking while I was updating. This morning there was nothing on the McKellar page but a picture of the front of the McKellar, and the back of the Royal Stewart (in error). I think it's better now.

I know what you mean. I wish I still had some of the special things my mother made for me before I started sewing all my own clothes. She made us little red hooded capes with white rabbit fur around the hood. CUTE! But gone...

My eyes are doing very well since cataract surgery, so no worries there for now. It's my back that gets a workout, I tend to lean forward when doing hand work.

thank you Beverly! i'm on way over right now......

betsey

I worked on the site yesterday, it's now almost a tutorial.

Shouldn't that be in the back?

Sure, we'll agree they want it in the back...