Diagonal Pattern

[davedove]

I'm wondering if anyone has ever heard of a kilt being made where the tartan pattern is displayed diagonally, instead of the normal horizontal and vertical. I know it's not the traditional method and I can imagine there would be problems based on the way the cloth is woven. And it would likely be much more expensive do to wasted cloth. But I also think that this style would be a nice change from the normal and would look rather nice as well. You could even pleat it to sett without any problems, although it seems to stripe would be impossible. Has this ever been attempted?

[Mike n NC]

I'm wondering if anyone has ever heard of a kilt being made where the tartan pattern is displayed diagonally, instead of the normal horizontal and vertical. I know it's not the traditional method and I can imagine there would be problems based on the way the cloth is woven. And it would likely be much more expensive do to wasted cloth. But I also think that this style would be a nice change from the normal and would look rather nice as well. You could even pleat it to sett without any problems, although it seems to stripe would be impossible. Has this ever been attempted?

As a matter of fact, it is used fairly frequently in womens skirts and dresses. Alexis Malcolm shows several on her site.

Mike

[davedove]

As a matter of fact, it is used fairly frequently in womens skirts and dresses. Alexis Malcolm shows several on her site.

Mike

So she does. Which begs another question - is this only done on women's skirts?

[Planopiper]

Maybe because it would require a piecing together the material. You'd have to have an amazingly wide piece of cloth to get a piece 8 yards long cut on the diagonal. 60 inches is about the widest available, I think. So imagine how much effort would be required to piece together enough fabric, then still have all the work of making a kilt, but with the extra effort of hiding all the seams. You've also sacrificed the selvedge that should be the lower edge of the kilt, so how you'll have to have a hem, which never really looks right on a wool tartan kilt. And at $50/yard or more, you'll have a lot of expensive scraps left over. That's just what comes to mind. I imagine a seamstress or kiltmaker would have a better grasp of the hurdles involved.

Women's dresses aren't made with the same long, continuous piece of cloth as a kilt is.

[Riverkilt]

Mac pointed out, and displays, that men's tartan vests are often cut that way. And then worn with the same tartan kilt done in the traditional way.

Ron

[davedove]

Maybe because it would require a piecing together the material. You'd have to have an amazingly wide piece of cloth to get a piece 8 yards long cut on the diagonal. 60 inches is about the widest available, I think. So imagine how much effort would be required to piece together enough fabric, then still have all the work of making a kilt, but with the extra effort of hiding all the seams. You've also sacrificed the selvedge that should be the lower edge of the kilt, so how you'll have to have a hem, which never really looks right on a wool tartan kilt. And at $50/yard or more, you'll have a lot of expensive scraps left over. That's just what comes to mind. I imagine a seamstress or kiltmaker would have a better grasp of the hurdles involved.

Women's dresses aren't made with the same long, continuous piece of cloth as a kilt is.

I kind of figured that's why you don't see it done this way for men's kilts. It would just be too impractical, not to mention expensive. Probably the only people to attempt it were those with more money than sense!

[Freedomlover]

Expensive? Yes, but I really like the idea.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

That material is actually manufactured in that pattern... and I have a local shop that has a few in-stock. It's not exactly "kilt" weight, but more around the 9-11 ounce weight. I have seen them with wool in that configuration in the fall and winter months, so I'll head-in over the next while to see what's available and post the results for those that are looking to make the purchase.

Memory seems to recall Stewart Black, Loud MacLeod and Black Watch being readily available.

[Barb T.]

The biggest potential problem would be that all the straight lines in the kilt would be on the diagonal of the weave. Because fabric stretches most along the bias (that's the term for the diagonal of the fabric), all of the pleats would tend to stretch and curve when they're pressed. Also, you'd need to put some kind of stabilizer in across the back side of the apron and underapron, because, as soon as you pulled the buckles tight, you'd be pulling along the bias and causing the apron and underapron to stretch out of shape (a well-made kilt already has a stabilizer across the pleats, so there would be less of a problem across the back).

All in all, I think it would be _really tough_ to make a crisp-looking kilt if everything were on the bias.

All of the woman's bias tartan skirts that I've seen are A-line skirts. One of the reasons for doing the skirt on the bias is, in fact, that the skirt will have a little more "give" to it than one made with the straight grain up and down the skirt.

Cheers,

Barb

[Freedomlover]

Thanks for the info, Barb. But there is no reason I can see that would prevent drawing-in the loom harnesses to produce a tartan on the diagonal from the get go. I suppose limited demand would be a problem.