A few neat "kilt" videos on British Pathe

[sydnie7]

[snip] In both clips, and when I saw Elsie do it, it's amazing how quickly and effortlessly they make the chalk lines that determine the shape of the upper apron.

I noticed that as well, and laughed -- we post and discuss and agonize over it, the Wizard has shown off his drafting technique with weights and a flexible whatchamacallit, but they just pick up a piece of chalk and "zip zop" it's done! Of course after you have done it a few hundred or thousand times. . .

[Highlander31]

Nice videos, Alan. Thanks for posting them.

This is the first time I've visited the British Pathe site,....definitely won't be the last.

[OC Richard]

we post and discuss and agonize over it, the Wizard has shown off his drafting technique with weights and a flexible whatchamacallit, but they just pick up a piece of chalk and "zip zop" it's done!

I have to admit I've not seen those posts, nor the Wizard's whatchamacallit. I read the Art Of Kiltmaking (where they don't make a big deal about the specifics, just calling it "a smoothly curving line" and having a small drawing showing the basic shape) and I took Elsie's class (where she does it just like in those old videos).

Being the persnickety type that I am, were I to make another kilt I might make a fullsize cardboard template of that curve to make sure I got both sides of the apron correct and symmetrical.

[sydnie7]

I have to admit I've not seen those posts, nor the Wizard's whatchamacallit. I read the Art Of Kiltmaking (where they don't make a big deal about the specifics, just calling it "a smoothly curving line" and having a small drawing showing the basic shape) and I took Elsie's class (where she does it just like in those old videos).

Being the persnickety type that I am, were I to make another kilt I might make a fullsize cardboard template of that curve to make sure I got both sides of the apron correct and symmetrical.

I like the template idea, did the same when I converted a tuxedo jacket into Bob's current formal kilt jacket.

Steve (the engineer) posted a pic of shaping the curves using drafting equipment, IIRC. Two weights and a flexible band -- place the weights at inner top and outer bottom of desired curve, insert the flexible piece and trace the resulting line. Hope that makes sense, I can "see" the pic in mind's eye but no hope of finding it through search!

[hunterblawthyhorn]

Thank you for posting. Very interesting.

[mookien]

Alan: Thanks for posting. Lots of fun - watching. They make it look easy, but messy. With that casual air of chalking, cutting, ripping, and stitching, it's amazing the kilts come out looking that precise and well fitting.

John

[OC Richard]

Yes it was a scary moment, in Elsie's class, when she picked up my $400 mass of new virgin heavyweight tartan and ripped it in two with her bare hands.

[mookien]

Yes it was a scary moment, in Elsie's class, when she picked up my $400 mass of new virgin heavyweight tartan and ripped it in two with her bare hands.

I can only imagine how frightening that must have been.

[Farmer Jones]

Excellent find. Thanks for these links.

[gordontaos]

Thanks for the videos and the info.!