Celtic Heritage

In case you weren't aware, the highland games are coming to Tucson!   For those of you who don't know what they are or have never been to one, you should definitely check it out.

Caber Toss

You could see a man toss a telephone pole sized log, or watch some one toss a 56 pound weight into the air over a bar, or see some one stick a pitch fork into a sack of barley and toss it over a field goal.  Whether you're watching the caber toss, weight toss for height or distance, the sheaf toss, or hammer throw, you can't help but appreciate the raw power and technique involved.  The most amazing thing about it to me is the team atmosphere in spite of competing against each other.  They cheer and groan with their competitors, and celebrate when someone breaks their personal best.

What, you don't care to see any of that?  Well you could come and learn some history about Scotland or my clan by visiting the clan booths.  Or you could look through the vendors who sell many authentic Scottish items.  Then there's the food.  I usually go for the Scottish meat pies :-)  Even if you're not Scottish, everyone is welcome.  There's even a large area for the little ones, so those of you with kids can come too.

My Clan Tartan

Why do I bring this up?  Well, because I'm a Scotsman.  I have a clan crest and tartan from Scotland.  In honor of my heritage, I decided that I should own a kilt.  I researched this possibility, and discovered something.  Kilts are expensive!  There are websites that sell them for as much as $500 or more.   I understand that a lot of work goes into making a good kilt, but seriously?  Five Hundred Dollars!?  This is why I've chosen to make my own.  I still ended up spending about $80, but it was well worth it in the end.

I found an article that someone posted, that details how to go about making a kilt, however it is severely lacking in the form of pictures or complete instructions (For example, it has "spray on starch" in the material list, but never tells you to use it...)  For my purposes, I am going to be posting some photos so you, my faithful readers, can see my craft :-)  I may even post a picture from the highland games when it comes around (This weekend!).

The most expensive part of this project was the tartan cloth.  My Clan has a website that I bought the tartan for $60.  Most of my budget was spent there.

Unfinished pleats

The most difficult part was the pleats.  I will not go into too much detail, as I'm sure that would bore you (besides, you could just click on the link above and read the instructions yourself), but this was the majority of the sewing required for this project.

During the process, I did make a couple of measurement errors, but they worked out in the end.  A kilt is made up of three sections, the apron, the under-apron, and the back.  The back is the only section that is pleated.  When I calculated the measurements, I accidentally doubled the entire length instead of just the pleated area.  This was fortunate, however, since my method for creating the pleats ended up requiring extra material anyways.  I still ended up with some extra cloth at the end, but that's always better than running out.

Finished product (without sporran)

I enlisted the help of a friend who owns and knows how to use a sewing machine (Thanks Kati!), and that made most of the sewing go a lot faster (plus it looks much better).

I'm very happy with how it turned out.  Again, if anyone is interested in seeing me wear it, you'll have to come to the highland games (have I mentioned this enough yet?).  Hope to see you there!

To see more pictures, see my album.

Celtic Lore: What's the difference between a skirt and a kilt?  A kilt is designed for a man to wear, and a skirt is designed for a woman.

[Edit]  I've added some pictures from the highland games, including me in my kilt.