Really dumb question....

[Pleater]

If you have a household candle, or a fancy one for intimate dinners, just take a hot knife and slice off a small chunk - an inch is all it takes, then when you have threaded your needle just trap the threads, near the needle, under the wax and pull. It is best to do this on a craft (not polished) table or spare bit of wood/anything hard - not the best furniture!! Not your thumb either as the friction will eventually make it hurt.

Only use the length of thread you neeed for each seam, plus a couple of inches so you can tie it off easily. That means minimum effort for you/minimum wear on the fabric - both significant when doing a kilt.

I really must try a box pleated kilt one of these days - once I have worked my way through the heap of kilts in waiting.

Put it on the list.

[James MacMillan]

If you have a household candle, or a fancy one for intimate dinners, just take a hot knife and slice off a small chunk - an inch is all it takes, then when you have threaded your needle just trap the threads, near the needle, under the wax and pull. It is best to do this on a craft (not polished) table or spare bit of wood/anything hard - not the best furniture!! Not your thumb either as the friction will eventually make it hurt.

Only use the length of thread you neeed for each seam, plus a couple of inches so you can tie it off easily. That means minimum effort for you/minimum wear on the fabric - both significant when doing a kilt.

I really must try a box pleated kilt one of these days - once I have worked my way through the heap of kilts in waiting.

Put it on the list.

Another great use for a household candle is to unfold your kilt, and gently rub the point of a hunk of candle in the inside of a pleat. Then iron the kilt. The pleats will stay sharp for much longer! - and no damage to the fabric!

This is not my original idea! Servicemen and women of every branch have been doing this for as long as there have been uniforms. The creases last forever.

--And it works for kilts also!

[cacunn]

Another great use for a household candle is to unfold . . .

I have always found that the best (cheapest) candles for uses like this are found in the grocery store. In the Kosher food sections are Jewish sabath candles. They are very inexpensive compared to "household candles" You can take two and run the thread between them. Itwist the candles slightly so the tread does a lazy figure "s" between the candles. Waxes bothe sides and doesn't hurt the table.

Once the thread has cut the candles in to small pieces, melt then down, remove the wicks and pour into cup cake papers. Once cool reuse to wax thread.