I don't want to hijack this thread or take it off topic of Kilt Kamp but my advice about sewing machines may help you.

If your plan is to make just one Kilt, and you don't have a sewing machine then try hand stitching a Traditional Kilt.

A sewing machine suitable for Contemporary Kilts is a rather specialized machine. Yes, it can be done on a home singer but the frustration of trying to make a machine do something it was not designed to do is not worth the expense and in the end will sour you so much that you may never make another.

Almost all home machines designed and sold since the late '80's have been designed for quilting, small repair jobs, and to dress up plain clothes with fancy stitchings. Most of them simply cannot handle the thickness of material that is required for Contemporary Kiltmaking.

It's not the power of the motor. It is the height of the pressure foot. A machine salesperson will show you that the machine will sew through two or three layers of leather and tell you it has the power but when you try to fit 18 or 22 layers of 12 oz Poly/Cotton under the pressure foot you simply can't do it.

My advice would be to find a pair of newer "Dockers" trousers and take them to your local Sewing Machine Shop. Put both cuffs together at the hem and then fold them double. This will give you approx. 12 layers of fabric. Then ask the sales person to to show you how to sew all the cuffs together right over the side seams. When you hit the Side Seams you will be simulating the sewing of a waistband onto a Kilt and hitting the Beltloops.

If you can do this and control the fabric, without breaking a needle or the thread then you have found a suitable machine.

It will be an older straight stitch machine with a simple 1/4" to 3/8" (4 to 6 mm) zigzag. It will be able to take no. 16 or 18 ball point needles. It will have a reverse. It will preferably have a knee lift lever to allow you to keep both hands on the fabric while you lift the pressure foot.

What you will find is that what I have just described is a 20+ year old Bernina, White or Janome machine. When you find it ask the retail person if you can talk to the repair person. Before you buy the machine ask the repair person if the machine pressure foot height can be adjusted, and if they can adjust the feed dog feet and timing on the machine.

The machine will cost you about $100.00 to $300.00 and then there will be a charge for the repair person to check the timing of about an additional $100.00 to $150.00.

If you bring that machine to Kilt Kamp I'll show you how to sew a Kilt with it.

If you have any other questions you can PM me or send me an e-mail and I'll help in any other way I can.