Waiting is so hard.

[Chris in a Kilt]

In May I thought about buying a inexpensive kilt for everyday use witch would be easy to keep clean and don’t worry to get him dirty, like just putting it into the washing machine and he looks like new again.

I opend a thread here to get some info about affordable kilts frome BC,
I wanted to deal with a Canadian company because I didn’t wanted to deal with customs and so on.

Steve Ashton from Freedom Kilts answered to my thread back than. We exchanged some emails and I knew I had to invest way more than $100 to get a kilt the way I wanted. So far I had only a very good experience with Steve.

In September I stated to exchanging emails with Steve again to clear up the last detail and on the 6th of October we finished the deal and I ordered a contemporary kilt in the tarten “Isle of Skye” I’m most impressed about the 2 front pockets, just what I need for car keys and cellphone.
The delivery of the kilt will be in the beginning of February. I’m now nearly half way through the time I have to wait, and I’m getting more and more excited about the kilt, witch doesn’t make the waiting any easyer.

[Tarheel]

My sympathies, but you did make the call to Steve. The reward will be worth it.

[Tobus]

Yep, the excitement of ordering a new custom-made kilt is always dampened by the wait time (regardless of the maker). They say that good things come to those who wait, but the waiting isn't much fun!

Congratulations on the purchase, and please do follow up when you get it. We will want to see photos!

[Dougal]

I feel you, I'm in a similar situation at the moment. Just that for me the waiting has only just started. It's supposed to take about 12 weeks until my kilt will be made and delivered from Scotland to Germany. That should be the beginning of February.

So I'm surprised that you also still have to wait until the beginning of February, although you obviously ordered your kilt a lot earlier than me. I wonder if it is it normal that it takes that long until a custom-made kilt is made.

I have ordered a custom-made kilt in my favourite tartan (that I'm using as my avatar at the moment) last Thursday, while it was 15% cheaper due to the black Friday week. I just couldn't resist even though my bank account is almost empty now, after buying it. But I just need a decent kilt, f.e. when I go to celtic festivals next year.

I went through that phase of waiting already once before, and when the kilt arrived it was a huge disappointment. This time it will be different, hopefully.

Let's see if your kilt arrives earlier than mine. And yes, of course it would be nice to see photos.

[Anokar]

Yes congratulations, Chris! I can totally relate too, I just ordered my new MacAlister tartan. So far the wait isn't too bad, but I'm sure I'll be watching out the window for the Fedex man in a couple of weeks. Nothing like staring out the window like my dog waiting for the mailman!

And yes please share your photos when it comes in!

Slainte,
Anokar

[The Wizard of BC]

Anyone who has visited the Freedom Kilts shop will be familiar with our order board. We keep this out where customers can see the progress of their kilt order.

Chris, here is your order on the board.



You can see that your fabric was ordered but has not yet arrived.

I some cases a customer may not have made a final decision on how they want their kilt pleated. You specified "To Stripe" but did not specify which stripe.

So what we will do when your fabric arrives is pleat it up a couple different ways and send you photos. You can then make a decision.

As soon as your order has reached the top of the order board you will get an email saying that we will be beginning work. Now is the time to let us know if anything has changed. Like a major weight gain or loss.
Right up to the moment we cut your fabric everything can be changed or altered.
This is also when we may ask for the final payment on your kilt if you made a down-payment or have been making periodic payments.

When we complete your kilt you will get a notification that your kilt has been shipped with a tracking number.

When your kilt finally arrives you will notice that we put a Hang Tag on the kilt. Here is the front of one Hang Tag.



Please notice that each kilt is custom made specifically to each customer. At the top is your specific order number. We can identify your order from all the rest with this number in our database.

The inside of the hang tag has the Care and Feeding Instructions for your kilt dependent on the type of fabric. On the right are all the specifications of the fabric your kilt was made from and the name of the person who actually sewed your kilt.



On the back of the Hang Tag are all the specifications you gave us when you placed your order.



There will be two additional things in your box.

One will be all the scraps of fabric. You have paid for that fabric so you get all of it. About the only time we keep some fabric is if it was a custom run so if any questions arise or if you wish to order more fabric we have a sample.



And finally you may or may not find this small sheet of paper. This is for those new to kilts and tells what the basting stitches are for and how to remove them before you wear your kilt. There is also a picture tutorial on how to hang your kilt to keep it wrinkle free and so it will not fall on the floor in a heap.



We honestly try to get a customer's kilt to them in a reasonable amount of time. But sometimes, like currently when there is a postal worker strike, or due to some unexpected problem like the weaving mill has run out of your particular fabric, and must weave more, we may be faced with a bit longer wait time.

Due to the number of orders we normally have on the Order Board we try to tell customers an accurate estimate of when their kilt will be ready. Your kilt may be completed a bit earlier than what we quoted but I can tell you that I have never missed a deadline when a customer told me that they needed their kilt for a special event.

I know that all of this does not make the waiting any more tolerable but I hope it adds just a little to the whole story of why it takes so long.

[The Wizard of BC]

As a further teaser here is just one other kilt we have made in The Isle Of Skye Tartan. This one is pleated to what is called "No Stripe".



Each kilt we make, is made one-at-a-time, by one kiltmaker right here in our shop. While we do not weave the fabric and we buy the supplies like the straps and buckles, we don't farm out any of the work.



Each kilt is made to your exact specifications and we hold ourselves to an accuracy of 1/32 inch or one twill line.

For example, if you ask us to pleat your kilt to the Sett, you should be able to lay the flat fabric from the aprons on top of the pleats and everything should line up.



As the developer of the Contemporary Style of kilt we take pride in our product. The Contemporary Style of kilt is defined as "A kilt that has evolved to meet the needs of today's kilt wearer.".

We hope that the increased Durability we have designed into the Contemporary kilt - along with the choice of fabrics - the ability for the kilt to fit perfectly at where you told us you want to wear your kilt, and for its intended purpose - and the ability to have pockets - will give you pleasure for a very long time.

[Unimoose]

I can not honestly think of much more to say other than "WOW!". I'm amazed by the process and work involved not only by Steve but the process for putting together a quality kilt by hand. To reiterate, WOW!

[Tobus]

And finally you may or may not find this small sheet of paper. This is for those new to kilts and tells what the basting stitches are for and how to remove them before you wear your kilt.

This should serve as an example to other kiltmakers!

[inebrius]

Bespoke.

Staggered by your process, Steve, although I hadn't really given it a lot of thought, in truth.


I'd like to nominate this thread for a sticky... "why it takes the time it takes, and why it's worth it", or some such title.