Canvas Kilt, ACK!!!!

[Alan H]

SURPRISE...I may have ordered 4 yards of material, but when I laid out the "other half" of my double-wide piece of canvas today, it came out to 3 yards and about twenty inches. So, either I got stiffed on the order or it shrank, bigtime when I washed it, or both.

I know how much blue jeans shrink when you wash them, it doesn't surprise me to have lost even as much as a foot in overall length in this material when washed and dried. Two and a half feet seems a bit steep, though.

Hey, Robert, I was planning to kife pleat all the way 'round the kilt and not put in that box pleat where the under-apron starts, just for simplicity. We'll see how that works out.

BTW gentlemen, if you google "make a kilt" you will come across three or four web sites (which I have read extensively) that give basic instruction for making uber-budget kilts. I ordered Barb's book the other day because my wife is pitching a fit over the cost of the X-Marks kilt, so I acquiesed and told her I'd stitch it up myself. I had a quick read through Barbs book last night (instead of working on the canvas kilt) and it looks very thorough, with a lot of information about kilt history, what differentiates a good traditional kilt from a so-so kilt and so on. Also, buy the book direct from Celtic Dragon Press, do NOT go to Amazon.com for it. I looked on Amazon and the retailers wanted $75 for it!!!

Another thing...I've noticed this before. The guys making kilts for a living that frequent X Marksare the friendliest, most helpful gentlemen on the blinkin' planet and always happy to share what they know. I think that's absolutely fantastic!

I have a question for folks out there who have made a mess of kilts. I assume that the more you make the bettter you get at it. I want my X Marks kilt to be a NICE kilt. Would it be wise to go buy 3 yards of PV and stitch up a PV kilt using Barbs instructions before biting off the wool job?