But, but, but... doesn't it make great big holes in all the layers of fabric? And then again the next time you use it...and again...and again.
Isn't it a bit destructive? I have just acquired a quite beautiful bronze penannular brooch and would like to use it for a fly plaid, but really can't see me making big holes in my jacket.
I've found that the fabric tends to mend itself when I use a brooch - though I've yet to try a bodkin. It may lend itself to pinning the same portion of fabric each time, rather than making a new hole. I've not pinned a plaid to my jacket or shirt though.
My concern is that it wouldn't hold the plaid in place for long when doing things - I'd guess using a bodkin with tapers and some shape to it would help this, and perhaps it's all in how you pin it (horizontally as opposed to vertically?).
Perhaps there's more reason than not dirtying your Great Kilt in the accounts of highland warriors laying their plaids aside and fighting in their yellow war shirts...
A lot depends on how tightly woven the fabric is. To use a bodkin (or penannular brooch). you push the threads aside and slide the bodkin through, without breaking the threads. I read somewhere that you can use the bodkin to separate the threads, then sew a few stitches to make a "button hole" without cutting the fabric. Later, you can remove the stitches and tease or comb the threads back into position, thus closing the hole.
I am considering a bronze penannular brooch for my kilt, and this would make it work!
Those bodkins would make lovely hairsticks, methinks! Seems like they'd be best suited to loosely woven fabric. Seems like I've also seen them in conjunction with a ring... a fold of the plaid pulled through the ring, and the bodkin inserted into the fold, thus holding the whole thing together without piercing the fabric.
These also look very similar to the shawl pins that are gaining popularity among us knitters. Here's some links to a few sites that sell them. Some are kind of girly, but others would work quite well for a greatkilt:
I am considering a bronze penannular brooch for my kilt, and this would make it work!
I use a bronze penannular brooch for my kilt and it works quite well. I don't actually pin it through the fabric though. Mostly because I'm afraid that I'd tear the fabric. I'll give pinning a try at some point in the near future and see how it works out.
Originally Posted by Skipper1
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