Highland wear

2009-11-29T01:47:00.000-08:00

This is an overview of my Scottish Highland wear. I made the jacket, fly-plaid (shoulder drape), and kilt. I used Simplicity pattern 5029 as my primary source for the jacket and fly-plaid and Folkwear pattern 152 for the kilt. The jacket was extensively changed from the published instructions to accommodate proper and traditional tailoring techniques to ensure a professional and long-lasting garment.

The jacket is made of a warm/dark brown melton wool coating which I had stored away for years. It was rather moth bitten and needed some mended regardless of my attempts to cut around them. There is a tan/brown plaid wool facing to the pocket flaps and the undercollar. The lining is a red satin as well as the cuff facings. The sleeve lining is a lightweight rayon, cream with blue stripes as is traditional. The plaids were purchased online at a discounted price. It is not an official tartan and is therefore, unfortunately, not my family clan tartan of Davidson. I could not afford the real deal as wool tartans of a suitable weight can cost upwards of 30 pounds a meter which translates to close to 60 dollars a yard. A man's military style kilt takes up to 9 yards of fabric...you're looking at well over 500 dollars for fabric alone. The plaid I bought is a fashion plaid but of a nice wide sett comparable to real tartans and was 80% wool, 20% polyester. I am an ardent snob when it comes to fabric; a defender of all things natural and loathe synthetic fibers like polyester. I would have preferred 100% wool but was pleased with the drape and hand of this fabric; you really can hardly tell it isn't all wool.

The kilt was very difficult to make as it is entirely a matter of mathematical formula for drafting/fitting (there is not pattern piece included in the pattern) and a hell of a lot of hand-stitching. If you think to make a kilt it is as simple as merely pleating 8 yards of fabric...think again. The Folkwear pattern explains the process rather well but it is definitely something that requires a lot of patience and a willingness to fail and try try again. All pleats are hand sewn to ensure matching of plaids and shaping in the lower back.

The fly-plaid is simply a large square with fringed edges. I veered from the pattern only by knotting the fringe to ensure a long-lasting and more interesting detail. It took me about 5 hours to do as I was sitting in the Seaver College dining hall in Malibu surrounded by a raging forest fire in Oct. of 2007. Good way to kill the time...bad for the smell of the cloth. Luckily the stench of the smoke, which was suffocating at times, did not stick permanently.

Hand picked edge stitching around front edges, lepals and collar, cuffs and pocket flaps and welt of breast pocket. Hand stitched button hole at front. Grosgrain ribbon faux button holes on cuffs and pocket flaps. Contrast undercollar.

First blog

2009-11-29T01:33:00.000-08:00

I am not a fan of blogging. I have better things to do with my time other than writing out my mundane thoughts and feelings in vainglorious self-gratification for others to possibly see. I don't read other people's blogs and I don't particularly care if you read mine. I am primarily using this site as a means to document my professional and creative endeavors in such a way as to make the images of which accessible on the world wide web. I already possessed a GMail account and this was a small step to make from there.

Having said that and if you are still reading this, what you will find here are archives of my costuming and tailoring projects as well as any other art forms I might find myself disposed of.

That is all.

Ars Gratia Artis

Highland wear

First blog