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  1. #1
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    Kilt rolling for storage - some detail questions

    Hey all, i have some questions I'd like to ask about kilt rolling. I have traditionally hung my kilts for long-term storage using the multi-hangar method, but have recently been told by some long-time kilt-wearers that Rolling is a better solution for keeping the pleats from splaying. I've lurked the forum and read a number of posts on the virtues of rolling vs. hanging, but not one has answered some of the more detailed questions I have - namely:

    1. Rolled with the inside face-up, resulting in a completed roll that has the exterior of the kilt facing out? Or rolled with the outside face up, resulting in a completed roll that has the interior of the kilt facing out? (I'm assuming the former, but still want to ask)

    2. How tight is the roll? Do you use anything as a core to roll it around, or just "hand-roll" it?

    3. To tie or not to tie? I've seen posts that recommend tying 2-3 cords around the roll to keep it together. Others use elastic bands. Any worry about leaving band-marks in the kilt with months-long storage?

    4. Storage bag - natural, synthetic, or none at all? I've seen others recommend a leg from a set of nylons, or a pllowcase.

    5. The exterior storage box - is plastic/tupperware with some cedar blocks inside ok? I have heard people say that storing in plastic can damage the color of wool tartan if it comes in contact with the plastic, but i'm imagining that wrapping it in a storage bag and possibly a cotton/linen box liner would prevent this. I'm liking the idea of a sealable plastic storage box as this prevents moth incursion, but wondering if the lack of airflow could be detrimental?

    Thanks for any light you choose to shed on the subject!

  2. #2
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    Perhaps I can shed some light on this issue from a kiltmaker's standpoint.

    Wool fabric, at any time it is bent, folded, or compressed, will crease. This is called cold pressing and it the old way of setting pleats.
    So I prefer to store my kilts only by hanging. I use my two hanger method and separate the two sides just enough for good air flow.

    To the issue of moth protection - The clothes moth is a very small animal with a fuzzy head. If you ever see a moth it is not a clothes moth as they are totally nocturnal.
    It is not the wool that is eaten. The adult moth lays eggs in the hidden folds. The larva that hatch go searching for their first meal. They are attracted to dirt, sweat, old hair and skin cells. They chew the wool trying to get to the dirt.

    The two things that clothes moths and their young hate more than anything else is sunlight and fresh air. If you never, ever, want clothes moths you should hang your kilts on the clothes line in your back yard.
    The worse thing you can do is enclose your kilts in some airtight container. Plastic bags, tupperware and other plastic do not let air circulate. The Moths love these places.

    For long term storage I suggest using my two hanger method - cut a small hole in a pillow case closed end and slip the hanger through the hole. Sew some velcro on the open end and close the pillow case with the velcro. Make sure the kilt is not bunched up at the bottom of the pillow case.

    If you want to put some cedar in with your kilt that is to make it smell good. To deter moths you cannot use just any cedar. You must use aromatic cedar. I have yet to find aromatic cedar sold in stores. Not the bags, the chips, or even the blocks designed to go over the hangers. These are almost always made from Western Red Cedar. Wrong type of wood.
    Steve Ashton
    www.freedomkilts.com
    Skype (webcam enabled) thewizardofbc
    I wear the kilt because:
    Swish + Swagger = Swoon.

  3. The Following 2 Users say 'Aye' to The Wizard of BC For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
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    If my kilts hang in the dark for so long that I have moth issues, I'm doing something wrong....


    either in wearing them often enough or by keeping bugs out of my house in the first place....
    "Everything is within walking distance if you've got the time"

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  6. #4
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    I roll my kilts when I travel. I first buckle them and place the pleat side up on the bed, then Rollin the direction of the pleats toward the fringed apron. The end result is a fairly tight roll that comes out of the suitcase looking in good shape. I suppose the same method could be used for long term storage, but I would lay a cedar plank on top.
    "Good judgement comes from experience, and experience
    well, that comes from poor judgement."
    A. A. Milne

  7. #5
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    Steve,
    Actually, moth larvae do eat wool, they just prefer soiled wool because of the increased moisture (they don't drink) and nutrients. Think about it. If something didn't eat animal hair, with the millions of years mammals have been around, we would be up to our whosis in shed hairs.
    Geoff Withnell

    "My comrades, they did never yield, for courage knows no bounds."
    No longer subject to reveille US Marine.

  8. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC View Post
    For long term storage I suggest using my two hanger method - cut a small hole in a pillow case closed end and slip the hanger through the hole. Sew some velcro on the open end and close the pillow case with the velcro. Make sure the kilt is not bunched up at the bottom of the pillow case.

    If you want to put some cedar in with your kilt that is to make it smell good. To deter moths you cannot use just any cedar. You must use aromatic cedar. I have yet to find aromatic cedar sold in stores. Not the bags, the chips, or even the blocks designed to go over the hangers. These are almost always made from Western Red Cedar. Wrong type of wood.
    Thanks for the tips Steve. I still don't understand your "hangar method." What do you hang on each hangar? And what type of cedar should I look for? Is it simply called "aromatic cedar" (and as far as I know that just means that it smell stronger) or does it have a another name? Thanks
    Regards,
    Tom

  9. #7
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    Wizard,

    Thank you VERY much for your advice!

    Quote Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC View Post
    Wool fabric, at any time it is bent, folded, or compressed, will crease. This is called cold pressing and it the old way of setting pleats.
    So I prefer to store my kilts only by hanging. I use my two hanger method and separate the two sides just enough for good air flow.
    Do you see any issues with pleats deforming from hanging? I haven't but i've read that long periods of hanging can cause a "splaying" effect. Also wonder if your multi-hanger method would prevent this ...

    Quote Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC View Post
    If you want to put some cedar in with your kilt that is to make it smell good. To deter moths you cannot use just any cedar. You must use aromatic cedar. I have yet to find aromatic cedar sold in stores. Not the bags, the chips, or even the blocks designed to go over the hangers. These are almost always made from Western Red Cedar. Wrong type of wood.
    Is this type of cedar available from lumber yards by order? I have a good friend who's a cabinetmaker, so I think he may be able to help me procure some for personal use ...

    Again, thanks for your help!

  10. #8
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    The wood most commonly used as a moth repellent is not actually a cedar but a juniper. It's scientific name is Juniperus Virginiana or Eastern Red Cedar - Pencil Cedar - Aromatic Cedar.

    The two hanger method came about here in my shop. I am hanging up and taking down kilts all day long. I was finding that the 4lb traditional kilts could quite often be found on the floor having fallen off normal hangers.
    I have tried just about every type of hanger out there. Some of those sold specifically as kilt hangers are the worse.

    Then one day I stumbled on so basic, so simple that it just made too much sense not to try.

    Open your kilt all the way.


    Fold the kilt in half.


    Put one hanger on the aprons - And one hanger on the pleats.


    Then fold the kilt in half again.


    Now, here is the really great, so simple, so logical part of this whole thing.

    You can use almost any hanger to do this.

    You can use the wooden pants hangers. You can use plastic clip hangers. You can even get hangers for free at almost any department store.



    Each hanger goes over only two layers of the kilt.



    The kilt is hung fully supported. The pleats hang straight and The kilt does not fall down.

    The worst thing is to hang a kilt by the little loops of fabric you find on some kilts.
    These loops are for temporarily hanging you kilt when you take it off in the bathroom.
    If you hang a kilt by these loops for long periods this is what happens.

    Steve Ashton
    www.freedomkilts.com
    Skype (webcam enabled) thewizardofbc
    I wear the kilt because:
    Swish + Swagger = Swoon.

  11. The Following 2 Users say 'Aye' to The Wizard of BC For This Useful Post:


  12. #9
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC View Post
    The wood most commonly used as a moth repellent is not actually a cedar but a juniper. It's scientific name is Juniperus Virginiana or Eastern Red Cedar - Pencil Cedar - Aromatic Cedar.

    The two hanger method came about here in my shop. I am hanging up and taking down kilts all day long. I was finding that the 4lb traditional kilts could quite often be found on the floor having fallen off normal hangers.
    I have tried just about every type of hanger out there. Some of those sold specifically as kilt hangers are the worse.

    Then one day I stumbled on so basic, so simple that it just made too much sense not to try.

    Open your kilt all the way.

    Fold the kilt in half.

    Put one hanger on the aprons - And one hanger on the pleats.

    Then fold the kilt in half again.

    Now, here is the really great, so simple, so logical part of this whole thing.

    You can use almost any hanger to do this.

    You can use the wooden pants hangers. You can use plastic clip hangers. You can even get hangers for free at almost any department store.

    Each hanger goes over only two layers of the kilt.

    The kilt is hung fully supported. The pleats hang straight and The kilt does not fall down.
    Excellent! Thanks Steve.
    Regards,
    Tom

  13. #10
    Join Date
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    I use the two hanger method, I have today it works great! My wife got me a stack of twin clip hangers from ikea, they were cheap, have great tension, and work perfectly for kilt hanging
    "Everything is within walking distance if you've got the time"

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