Timothy Stringer's Blog: Timothy Stringer's Blog - Posts Tagged "kilts"

This has absolutely nothing to do with writing, but possibly may in the future. Who knows, maybe I'll come up with a character that is into kilts. Or perhaps this might someday be a chapter in my best selling autobiography. Hmmmm, I like that thought.

On the paternal side, I'm not a Scot. My younger brother who has researched more of the maternal branches of the family tree tells me there are. On the paternal line there is no connection. There is an Irish connection through my maternal grandfather. There is also a Spanish connection through him.

A few weekends ago I went to the Celtic Festival in Bensalem, PA. When told of the event by a friend he jokingly said we had to wear kilts. I did not own one and the only place I could locally source one were not open in time for me to procure one. And I thought why buy something that I would only wear once a year at most. And then I looked at a few during the festival. There was only one vendor selling kilts and they were busy, really busy. Since I was with a group I didn't wait around to learn more.

I am now the proud owner of 5 kilts. One of which I made. The one I produced is wrong in so many ways but I was expecting that. The fabric is wrong, but I was experimenting and will never, well hardly never, wear that kilt. It is more like a proof of concept and the fabric was chosen for price more than function.

I've also watched hours and hours of videos on kilt making. Very few of them were all that helpful, but the amalgam of all of them gave me some direction. I finally gave in and bought a couple, well actually four kilts. One I went to the previously mentioned shop and picked one up. A few days later I sourced one in another shop not too far away in New Jersey. The other two I ordered online.

Once I had a kilt I was able to make a few more guesses as to how to actually construct a kilt. Digging out my trusty old Singer, I stitched it up and voila, my poorly made custom kilt. Wrong fabric, wrong colors, straps not placed correctly, but it is a kilt and I made it.

I'm not done. I ordered proper fabric with a proper tartan and that will become my second custom kilt. While I'm waiting, I'm looking at utility kilts which are not constructed the same way as traditional kilts.

Last weekend I wore one of my kilts to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival. This weekend is Celtic weekend. I'm going back, properly kilted of course. Is my obsession showing?