tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42726299455346967522024-03-14T04:06:18.622-04:00Kilted JourneyI wear the kilt as everyday wear and not as a costume. This blog will cover my experiences while wearing the kilt.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-70334808440623424772021-10-18T12:33:00.000-04:002021-10-18T12:33:10.350-04:00Update to my activity<p>Been a long time since I have posted. I still wear a kilt everyday. Nothing new to report. I have not been making any kilts lately. Other projects getting in the way. I have fabric on the shelf waiting for me to make a kilt out of them. Wool tartan fabric for traditional kilts and cotton/poly for utility type kilts. </p><p>What I have done is gone back and located the missing pictures that were stored on Photobucket. Fortunately I have all the originals. It is just a matter of finding them. I have not done a very good job of cataloging my photos. I have been able to find them by looking at the post date in this blog and then going back to the picture folder with that date or close to it. Most of the posts were about a photo that was taken around the time of the post. I have switch cameras through the years so the folder are in different places. I don't have all of them updated yet. I am back to around 2011/2012 time frame. Still a lot to find.<br /></p><p>I also discovered many of the external links to other web sites are no longer valid. I am not surprised at that. Web sites come and go. </p><p>Winter is fast approaching so my kilts will go from lighter weight PV, or cotton/poly, to heavier wool kilts and wool blend kilt socks (Lewis kilt hose). Winter is NOT my time of year. A sever winter is when the temperature goes below 60 degrees F. <br /></p><p>Kilt On!</p><p>Mike<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-43543093560719286592020-09-20T11:19:00.000-04:002020-09-20T11:19:52.660-04:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiDGESyf8qSTlvdqetbU0tXO8qTrEz0ZpA6SVMplxWHeg8jobo0AaE1RHteLgqMbHhvM2NFUgnCDK4inARj8OUKzg6TsVY78Y7lrwPk1BbWGIUIATv-K6WLudQaHe-tkU26NmupRD6-I/s1677/KiltFriday042420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1677" data-original-width="1118" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiDGESyf8qSTlvdqetbU0tXO8qTrEz0ZpA6SVMplxWHeg8jobo0AaE1RHteLgqMbHhvM2NFUgnCDK4inARj8OUKzg6TsVY78Y7lrwPk1BbWGIUIATv-K6WLudQaHe-tkU26NmupRD6-I/w297-h446/KiltFriday042420.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>In a previous post I talked about boots for kilts. This is one boot you DO NOT want. Back in April I was working in the attic. I fell out of the attic landing on the concrete floor in the garage. I landed on my feet but the left foot took the force. I ended up breaking the Fibula bone at the ankle. Also, a bad sprain of the ankle. Urgent care put this boot on my leg. X-ray indicated it was a clean break so no surgery was required. I ended up wearing that darn boot for ten weeks. I have now fully recovered. </p><p>I was wearing pants at the time. That goes to prove that pants are evil. Stay with kilts. A lot safer :)</p><p> </p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-3557178443973284632019-05-13T09:03:00.002-04:002019-05-13T09:03:39.297-04:00Screwed Up By PhotobucketSeveral years ago Photobucket changed their policy of linking to
images stored on their site. They demanded payment at some ridiculous
level to continue linking to my photos on their site. OK, it is their
site and I know providing networks, servers, and storage for all those
images takes money. I stopped adding photos on Photobucket but
maintained what I had on the site. For the most part the links
continued to work. Not long ago I got an email stating they changed
their policy again. I had too many images stored on their site to
qualify for a free subscription.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, I never
used Photobucket (or any other site) for my primary storage of photos. I
maintain my own local storage and at least two backups of all images.
The online sites are mostly for convenience of being able to show others
my photos and linking to pages such as this.<br />
<br />
I got
fed up with Photobucket and deleted my account and all images on their
site. I had forgotten I used their site for images on this blog. Other
than more recent posts all my images here are now broken links. I have
all the original photos. I just need to figure out what photo went to
what post. I will try to fix those over the next few months.<br />
<br />
Just
goes to show don't trust any third party storage service. Be it for
photos, music, files or what ever. This is especially true if using a
"free" site. I don't trust my paid sites either. They could change
policy or just go out of business at any time. Always maintain your
photos somewhere where you have control.<br />
<br />
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-61715640213208429112018-01-06T12:06:00.003-05:002018-01-06T12:06:32.264-05:00Kilt shoes, socks, and boots<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I wore kilts I had three pairs of shoes. A nice dress pair that I wore to the office
or anyplace nice. A pair of cloth shoes
which I always called “tennis” shoes.
Wore these for casual activities.
The third type were steel toe boots for cutting grass or any work that
had a chance of foot injuries. When the
kilts came along this all changed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe I was overthinking this but the shoes I was accustom
to wearing just did not feel right with the kilt. The dress shoes were fine with a traditional
kilt and kilt hose. The “tennis” shoes
with crew socks did not cut it even with a utility type kilt. I would wear that combination with shorts but
for some reason it did not fit the kilt.
The steel toe boots looked and felt the best but the ones I had were all
beat up from working in the yard. So I
started to look for alternatives. I
looked at what other “kilties” were wearing.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I see a lot of open toe shoes like sandals with utility
kilts in the summer. I don’t like open
toe shoes for myself. I feel someone is
going to step on my toes. I also don’t
think my toes look that good anyway. So
they don’t work for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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8” and 10” Boots became my shoe of choice for causal kilt
wear. In the summer I wear knee socks
pushed down. My favorite boot were 10” Harley boots I got from Sears. I wear them this way with utility kilts and
tartan kilts in a casual fashion. I
thought the boots would be heavy and hot in the heat of the summer. Cheap ones might be. These are all leather and they have been fine
in the summer. For winter they would
also work but the general impression I got from others is boots work with push
down socks. Not socks pulled up to the
knee. But in the winter that is where I
would want the socks high and the boots. Also the boots would be better in snow
than low shoes. My solution was screw
the negative comments about boots with knee socks. They work for me so I wear them that way when
ground conditions are less than ideal.
These boots could be 8” or 10” motorcycle, hiking, or work boots. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Pictures with the 10" Harley boots and socks down.</div>
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Is there another alternative to 8” or 10” boots with knee
socks (be they knee socks or better kilt hose like Lewis)? Why can’t you find knee high boots for
men? The women wear them all the time in
colder weather. I did find a few men’s
knee high boots. They were either
motorcycle boots, almost knee high western boots, linemen boots, costume knee
boots (think steampunk) and Engineer boots.
My intended purpose was for a more casual wear with utility kilts and
tartan kilts in a casual situation. Not
to be used for a traditional kilt look or a “suit” kilt equivalent. Let’s examine each of these. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I wanted a kilt outfit for Halloween and was looking
for something Steampunk related. I found “Steampunk” boots that lace up from the bottom. Three problems here. First these are cheap and not well made. Synthetic material that was hot and
uncomfortable to wear. Lacing them up
took forever. About 45 minutes to put
them on. Worked out well for Steampunk
but not for anything else. I did find an
alternative. I don’t recall where I got
them as I searched on just about every boot site I could find. They have lace up front but a side zipper. You
tie the laces once then you never have to change them. Use the zipper to remove the boot. Fit and feel much better than my first “costume”
boot. Were these men’s boots? I doubt it.
Size is 10. I wear a men’s size 9
or 9.5. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My original costume laced up knee boots for Steampunk</div>
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I looked at various motorcycle boots. I did find a few that were knee high. Never
bought any to try. Something not quite
right in the look but they may have worked.
May look at these again someday.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Western Boots. The
general thought in the kilt world is western boots just don’t work. I agree.
Won’t consider these any farther.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Linemen boots. I
liked the look the best but the better ones are very expensive and delivery
times were long. They be too heavy as
these are intended for linemen not fashion.
I did not obtain any because of the cost. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Engineer boots. Yes,
such a boot does exist. They are plain
in design and knee high. Hard to find,
very expensive, and long delivery time.
If I recall one pair I found was over $400. From the pictures these would be ideal. Take a close look at these boots. What do you see? They look just like women’s knee high boots
with a 1” heel. They may have a strap
more or less than the women’s equivalent.
Also the tread is more aggressive which would be ideal in the
winter. The cost and availability
prevented me from obtaining a pair. So
what about looking across the aisle in the shoe department? See if I can find the same thing. The fit would be a concern. I found the rule of thumb in size is take
your men’s shoe size and add two. So I
wear a 9 medium. That would be an 11
medium. Looking at DSW shoes I find size 11 is the largest common size. The
width is the same. So if your shoe size
is larger than a 9 you may be out of luck as your options drop. Using the Engineers boot design I found the
same thing on the DSW site. The only
difference was the location of a strap.
Cost was not bad and quality looked to be within reason. Ordered a pair in black. I was surprised to find they fit
perfectly. I was concerned not only
about the fit in the foot but also in the calve. The height was also correct. I have worn these out several times in the
winter in a casual situation. Never a
negative comment or “hey, you have on your woman’s boots”. Never a positive comment either about the
boots but then I normally don’t about any of the shoes I may have on with the
kilt. I think these work. Your opinion may vary. The only negative I have with them is the
wimpy tread on the bottom. Not much
tread there if any snow is present. So
until another option develops I will continue to wear these knee boots in the
winter as an alternative to my 10” Harley boots and knee socks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwBd_Xtv69PJoApJiwVypof1jalUhM7IguhauJ0I2vgzGRRH1ZP3nI-MaW-cCJPbir7FxC8mo8Of0d7vBXfPu3gqg_AX1yqsBrlkQyu1Il0mdwlWhV7d6ek0-cWNRmZYJzTj0COKRvfo/s1600/DailyKilt_010114a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1010" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwBd_Xtv69PJoApJiwVypof1jalUhM7IguhauJ0I2vgzGRRH1ZP3nI-MaW-cCJPbir7FxC8mo8Of0d7vBXfPu3gqg_AX1yqsBrlkQyu1Il0mdwlWhV7d6ek0-cWNRmZYJzTj0COKRvfo/s320/DailyKilt_010114a.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Picture of DSW knee high boots with solid color kilt</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Picture of the DSW knee high boots and the Bamboo Ribbed Tights<o:p></o:p></div>
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By the way, I have two choices for knee socks. In colder weather the Lewis Kilt hose are an
excellent choice with a tartan kilt even as a better looking casual wear. For more casual and to push down in the
summer I use Gold Toe knee socks in black.
I think these only come in white and black. I use to get knee socks from a company called
Sock Dreams. While they intended all
their socks for women they found one particular style were popular in the kilt
world. These socks are sized in both men
and women sizes. They are available in multiple
colors. I have a few of them but in the
past year wore mostly the Gold Toe. I
did dye a few of the white Gold Toe knees highs into other colors. That worked out ok. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For the very cold days of winter I have another option. SockDreams sell heavy over the knee socks that
work out very well in the cold. That
product is called “long cuffable crunchable socks” SKU: [DS]-[LC]. They also have heavier tights called “Bamboo
Rayon Rib Tights”. SKU: [FT]-[905]. If you are
in the size range for their “one size fits all” then they will work well. I have even worn these as “long johns” under
jeans when the temperature is around zero F.
The other option is from a place called G. Lieberman & Sons. There
are also known as ActiveSkins. This
particular product is A829 Thermofabric Opaque Full Support Tights. Not as
thick as the Bamboo tights from Sockdreams but these are made for men. I wear these with tartan kilts and up the
Lewis Kilt hose over top of them. That
way I have the color and look of the Kilt hose but my skin is covered above the
knee by the tights. This has worked out
well for me in temperatures down to zero F.
I found the length of these to be
a little short. I am 5’11” and 185
pounds. I ordered the XL for the additional
length. Even then I have to make sure I
get them pulled up as much as I can starting at the foot. Otherwise they are short in the crotch. Not
an issue with the SockDreams tights. I
guess I have long legs ;)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-28797691466560458162016-10-28T10:15:00.000-04:002018-10-25T10:19:55.835-04:00Post from another blog about "kilt cops"I ran across this blog post where the author talks about "kilt cops", "tartan Nazis", and the need (or not) to be Scottish to wear the kilt. I have run across the "kilt cops" and those that think only men in Scotland can wear a kilt. The latter I think is more of someone trying to find an excuse to keep as many men out of kilts as possible. Those with with a real fear of men in un-bifercated garments.<br />
<br />
<br />
https://swingfreeforcancer.org/2016/10/27/kilt-cops-tartan-nazis-and-the-need-or-not-to-be-scottish/<br />
<br />
UNFORTUNATELY IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WEB SITE HAS BEEN REMOVED<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f0dd0c;"><br /></span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-50462802455132064962015-08-27T09:08:00.003-04:002015-08-27T09:08:54.092-04:00Making KiltsI have been learning to make kilts. Mostly hand sewn traditional kilts. It is a long process doing this all by hand. Somewhere around 40 to 50 hours of work for one kilt for the inexperienced kilt maker. An experienced kilt maker could do it in 30 hours.<br />
<br />
I have found the hardest part is sewing the pleats. You have two difficulties to overcome. The hardest for me has been keeping the width of the pleat constant and true to the desired measurement. The pleats taper from the hip to the waist. If you are off just a little on each pleat you could be off inches in the final measurement. The second is keeping the horizontal stripes aligned so you have a straight line after sewing each pleat. Otherwise you have a horizontal stripe that looks like a stair step.<br />
<br />
Below you will find pictures of the various steps involved.<br />
<br />
Start with a lot of material. Depending on the sett size, person's measurements, and pleat style you could have 4 to 8 yards of material wound up in one kilt.<br />
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This one is 16 oz wool that is made for a kilt. Material comes in double width so if you need 8 yards in a kilt you can buy 4 yards, cut it half and join the two sides for 8 yards. This works if the tartan is symmetrical. This tartan is Wallace Hunting. This is the tartan you see on the Scotch Tape packages. For this kilt I only needed 4 yards as it was a box pleat design which takes less material. In the picture above I had 3 yards so I had to join both sides to get my 4 yards. I should have ordered 4 yards then I could have made two kilts. <br />
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Before you even go to this point you would have determined how you wanted to pleat this kilt. Type of pleat: knife, kingussie, reverse kingussie, box, double box, or military box. There may be more options but those are the ones I am familiar with. Are the pleats to be pleated to a stripe (one of the vertical color lines), if so which one, to the sett (so it looks just like the material laid out not pleated). Once you have that and the measurements you can layout the kilt. In the picture above I have marked the front apron. In the next picture I have marked one of the pleats. This is a box pleat so they are wider than if I was doing a knife pleat. I have a hard time keeping the width correct so I have started to mark the edge of the pleat with a chalk line and pin it multiple places. The pleats are sewn down from the "fell" line to the top of the kilt. Note the taper to the waist. The waist line is 2" down from the top of the kilt. The taper stops at this point and the pleat width is then straight to the top of the kilt.<br />
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Now it is time to sew the pleats. This take the most time. Starting out it took me an hour for each pleat. If you have 25 pleats and it takes an hour that is 25 hours just for pleats. Even longer if you sew one (or more) in and they are wrong. Then you have to remove the stitches and do the bad ones over. You are sewing from the top of the kilt to the "fell" line (middle of the butt). For me that is 7-1/2".<br />
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Pleats are all sewn down at the top. Now it is time to get the bottom part of the pleats in place. They are not sew. Wool can be shaped with steam and pressure. So we will press the pleats in place. That will leave a nice crease along the edge of each pleat. To make sure they are in the correct position the pleats are "basted" down. I put in 3 or 4 rows of basting. Here there is one row at the bottom and I have started on the one just below the fell line. You can see the white thread. At least two more rows will be added.<br />
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Next I will work on the internal construction of the kilt. Wool will stretch so I can not just have the wool holding the buckles. The kilt would quickly be stretched out of shape at the top. So a stabilizer is added between the two points where the buckles are attached. This is just a length of cotton that won't stretch. I decided to put a little surprise in the kilt should anyone ever take it apart. Used this Star Trek material. You won't see this once the kilt is complete. It will be covered by the interfacing and lining.<br />
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I must not have taken any pictures of the remaining internal construction of that box pleat kilt. So I am showing a different knife pleat kilt. This one was pleated to the sett. In a knife pleat kilt the inside of the pleats above the fell line are cut out. It is just unnecessary bulk that can be removed. Not an issue in a box pleat as there is not that much material. The cut out pleats are covered with a stabilizer. Historically, this would have been horse hair canvas. This is a synthetic canvas used here. This stiffens the top of the pleat. The interfacing is installed in all traditional kilts regardless of the pleat style.<br />
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Here is a picture of me cutting out the pleats. Up until this point I could have removed all of the stitching of the kilt and started over making changes to all that I have done. Once I cut the material out I am committed to my design. This is the area of the pleats that are sewn down. So the inside of the pleat is just a closed loop that has no purpose. So we cut this excess material out. This area will be covered by the interfacing.<br />
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Other work that has to be done is adding the waist band and finishing the apron and under apron edges. I add a fringe edge to the apron. The edge of the apron is curved and when folding back the edge we try to keep the stripes aligned. This causes the material to pucker. Being wool this will shrink and flatten out when pressed. The stitching helps hold it flat during this process. All the white basting will be removed when we are done. In the next picture the waist band has been added. The stripes in the waist band must align with the strips on the front apron. Unfortunately they will not align for the remainder of the kilt. They will be off even when the kilt is pleated to the sett.<br />
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The last step is to add the lining. This covers the interfacing. At some point the buckles and straps are added. I use an inside strap and buckle on the underapron. Most kilts are made with all buckles on the outside of the kilt . This requires a button hole for the under apron strap. I also only use two buckles. Many kilts are made with a third buckle that is really not required. Maybe it is for a dancer's kilt but for the rest of us it is not. I don't think the third buckle was on traditional kilts. That was more of a modern addition. <br />
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Completed box pleat kilt<br />
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Completed IPA (International Police Association) tartan kilt. The QA inspector is looking it over. I guess it passed as she is taking a nap after all the hard inspection work.<br />
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-26903961935492055012015-01-30T21:56:00.001-05:002015-01-30T21:56:10.626-05:00Utilikilts and EbayI now have a rather large collection of kilts. I have not counted them for a while but I would guess over 25. I should write up something on my collection at this point. Post for another day.<br />
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In this post I will talk about the Utilikilts I have. My first Utilikilt was purchased in the summer of 2008. What I liked about that kilt was the soft feeling of the cloth and it was machine washable. Being a utility type kilt the pockets on the side were very handy. There were a couple of things I did not like about it. Minor really but they bugged me none the less. One was the pleats would curl up. The second was the hem was not parallel to the ground. As for the pleat curl I have been told that happens for a number of reasons. I don't know if this is the real reason or just someone's guess. It could be just a behavior of cotton or because of the type of thread used to sew down the edge of the pleats. Who knows but I guess I can get over it. As for that tilted hemline. The utilikilt were designed to be worn at pant's waist rather than the higher natural waist of a traditional tartan kilt. Look at just about any guy in jeans and notice the belt line. It will be tilted down toward the front. More noticeable if the guy has belly. The Utilikilt (at least the earlier versions I have) the distance from the top to bottom of the kilt is the same all the way around. They had a "beer belly" option that would account for the tilt. I have never run into one with that option. So when you wear the kilt the waist will be tilted down in the front so the hem will also be tilted. Lower in the front.<br />
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My kilt was particularly bad about this tilt. I did not realize it for almost a year. I examined it more closely and found the length in the front was longer then in the back. That made it worst. It would have been better if that was the other way around. So one day I decided to modify the hem to try to remove that tilt. You can see the modified length in one of the pictures below vs the other kilts that don't have any adjustment. To do this I left the back alone and raised the hem starting at the side to up about an inch and a half in the front. So now the kilt hem is parallel to the ground. Unfortunately there was a minor problem. When I ordered the kilt I had a custom length which I purposely made a little on the short side. So my kilt was set to about an inch above the knee cap. Guys have legs too get over it. So now I needed to bring up the front. The length was already backwards as I said above. So now I had to raise the front. The end result was the kilt is shorter than before and it was short enough to start with. So this kilt is now more for knocking around the house working on projects.<br />
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I wanted to get another Utilikilt but those things cost some money. What kilt does not cost a lot. So I started to look around Ebay. Guys will get these kilts and then end up not wearing them so they turn up on Ebay. I set up a search on Ebay for Utilikilt and would get an email when one showed up on the site. Did not take long for my query to get a hit.
I ended up getting three kilts over about a year and a half. The first two I obtained were standard style Utilikilts. They are way too long but that is good because I can now re-hem the thing and get rid of the tilt without the end product being too short. I have not done so yet.
I noticed something else. The first one I got on Ebay did not have snaps under the belt line. The one I purchased in 2008 has snaps. Turns out this Ebay kilt was an earlier model. The design and manufacturing process has changed somewhat over the years.<br />
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I am going to digress here a moment.
Inside of the kilt there are a couple of labels. One has a date code among other information. I wish the people putting Utilikilts on Ebay would photograph that second label. Most just photograph the first with the size.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXBDRncDUCRcoOvxUmXGzAFQ248V_9N4mZ9mBgXUIhAgaqrFv-SVMtQH4OA2YLg6fuYc-JMWpOQarvYouLJnpO3ao1Yeg-g3ebMNSNgGJMmapVZ0c_IpetdYRhvpcnz52c7RedFJ07Og/s1600/UtilikiltLabel_0470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXBDRncDUCRcoOvxUmXGzAFQ248V_9N4mZ9mBgXUIhAgaqrFv-SVMtQH4OA2YLg6fuYc-JMWpOQarvYouLJnpO3ao1Yeg-g3ebMNSNgGJMmapVZ0c_IpetdYRhvpcnz52c7RedFJ07Og/s320/UtilikiltLabel_0470.JPG" /></a>
On this photograph notice the label showing the factory of manufacture and the material 65% poly and 35% cotton. After that is 08/08 which is the date: August 2008. That is my first Utilikilt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRjB285gGLcx6W95Kqpg5DwthdtcXte8JeBjT-H88SKdRQDuUnvB1C-S3p23S8leg_vy3sjbniewb5YRnsq41DqVK3wkdOCO_MsoJAUuMMWbraK1AASXIA_zFQqW1OCW6WygONcKYbJw/s1600/UtilikiltLabel_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRjB285gGLcx6W95Kqpg5DwthdtcXte8JeBjT-H88SKdRQDuUnvB1C-S3p23S8leg_vy3sjbniewb5YRnsq41DqVK3wkdOCO_MsoJAUuMMWbraK1AASXIA_zFQqW1OCW6WygONcKYbJw/s320/UtilikiltLabel_0471.JPG" /></a><br />
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The last one I got on Ebay was a Mocker style. The Mocker kilt was
intended to be the kilt equivalent of a pair of Docker pants. Nicer
material then the standard Utilikilt. Also, the pockets were built into
the kilt rather than hanging on the side. More pants like. So this
was a much nicer kilt. I don't think this kilt was ever worn. I won't
be able to change the hem on this one as the length is just where it
needs to be. I don't want to end up making it any shorter. So I will
put up with the tilt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeESqyjFHNeiBvAcTi23fRLa8XBU1m2IvPxQdeYyI1WJh0apZjnLlXk8jQJfMrCsUihp4t3BOGfu-2NukFcC2raOR4C2jTRXukBBH0pKZtopd0cER7iDmDVNYR0_J30bcaaUN-_f1mOY/s1600/Utilikilts_0826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeESqyjFHNeiBvAcTi23fRLa8XBU1m2IvPxQdeYyI1WJh0apZjnLlXk8jQJfMrCsUihp4t3BOGfu-2NukFcC2raOR4C2jTRXukBBH0pKZtopd0cER7iDmDVNYR0_J30bcaaUN-_f1mOY/s320/Utilikilts_0826.JPG" /></a> Here are the four I have now. My first is in the upper left. The Mocker is in the upper right. The two longer standard ones are on the bottom. No I don't have a dog sporran. That is my helper who just wanted to lay on the kilts during the photo session.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCBGbuinEtlViL56CBCAy9DiGYHZZ_I6Cbc_Z65V4WIFScqEnKnFlESYVYAd2XVADDwsNn8heXpVk_wvpu4ZokcNLqs_SUZa0QoNDNU7P76feZlSJ-cYNWv3ETEAke3-A8uuC3udPTvQ/s1600/Utilikilts_0829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCBGbuinEtlViL56CBCAy9DiGYHZZ_I6Cbc_Z65V4WIFScqEnKnFlESYVYAd2XVADDwsNn8heXpVk_wvpu4ZokcNLqs_SUZa0QoNDNU7P76feZlSJ-cYNWv3ETEAke3-A8uuC3udPTvQ/s320/Utilikilts_0829.JPG" /></a>
In this photograph you can see the missing snaps under the belt line of the 2005 model. My 2008 model has the snaps. I have no idea when they added the other snaps but that was a good idea.
That kilt without the snaps has a date code of 2005. I will add a couple of snaps to this 2005 model when I modify the hem. That second kilt is also long so I have plenty of material to work the hem.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGQ6sJseGtRwYHmZu0N3ON9KrPLylzx5fi9yZ6P2mdtAMAbVdoxuiKRIIMu6rqqauOqs00_jyGudhESvWW7PYyfJpBU5dmlyNRyyxvrJXcpPoLoWwR_HnIvRkccZOvnPux__KQOaQT-g/s1600/Utilikilts_0830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGQ6sJseGtRwYHmZu0N3ON9KrPLylzx5fi9yZ6P2mdtAMAbVdoxuiKRIIMu6rqqauOqs00_jyGudhESvWW7PYyfJpBU5dmlyNRyyxvrJXcpPoLoWwR_HnIvRkccZOvnPux__KQOaQT-g/s320/Utilikilts_0830.JPG" /></a></div>
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Here is my modified hem. You can see it is shorter in the front to make up for it lower at the waist. From the side the hem is now parallel with ground all the way around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ45PrgLWINuyxNlE8ewttG_NBLr024itVbE1eABbMLnsTVWwlq2MpXukYZ0GoDwmcQqra9IHrCBXAKDw9JW4u2LV8j8356ZivDuEKP3gM-CzYzfqHiWQUxwZjLkGtWME3LuwNJ5vcP4Y/s1600/Utilikilts_0833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ45PrgLWINuyxNlE8ewttG_NBLr024itVbE1eABbMLnsTVWwlq2MpXukYZ0GoDwmcQqra9IHrCBXAKDw9JW4u2LV8j8356ZivDuEKP3gM-CzYzfqHiWQUxwZjLkGtWME3LuwNJ5vcP4Y/s320/Utilikilts_0833.JPG" /></a>
On the other kilts the the distance from top to bottom is the same front to back</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhG0yLH5UldL6sgcIaKl7sR2KasvdDC9A-igTRdel2rx4yPPUKpvBJmYwSjS0H2sfR3jZGvg1SBN28mRJCg44cXvmjSreqDMPb3ZRIKovxFY11EuSYMpaBb5i0U_qU_4kf24bV_r0aa8/s1600/Utilikilts_0824ca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhG0yLH5UldL6sgcIaKl7sR2KasvdDC9A-igTRdel2rx4yPPUKpvBJmYwSjS0H2sfR3jZGvg1SBN28mRJCg44cXvmjSreqDMPb3ZRIKovxFY11EuSYMpaBb5i0U_qU_4kf24bV_r0aa8/s320/Utilikilts_0824ca.jpg" /></a>
On the Mocker the pockets are built into the pleat rather than hanging on the outside. I have circled the pockets which you might be able to make out in the photo. On the back there are two hip pockets rather than just one on the standard.</div>
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That is my review of my Ebay Utilikilt purchases. If you want a Utilikilt try searching Ebay. You might find one that will save you a few bucks.<br />
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Kilt on my friends!<br />
<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-73695544391055451752015-01-26T18:04:00.000-05:002015-01-26T18:04:08.441-05:00Another Kilt BlogRan across a new kilt blog. This is a nice one as the writer provides a lot of updates. Unlike mine where I might do a few a year. Looks like Matt started this one in January of this year. Check it out: <a href="http://www.adventurekilt.com/">Year of the Kilt</a>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-89837584873944120262014-09-06T10:06:00.003-04:002015-01-26T18:07:21.745-05:00Relationships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Absolutely! <br /><br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-20103295144872794732014-08-03T21:00:00.002-04:002014-08-03T21:00:33.802-04:00Kilted For 10 DaysI wear kilts a lot but many days it may be only for part of the day. I just realized that I have worn only the kilt for the past 10 days. Unfortunately it comes to an end tomorrow morning as I will be back in the office. I think I have posted this picture before but it really applies for this Monday:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJEiTlALHNyCfmCXmC7BtaCfS8QU75gVxbZEE_Cvcp7sV6JqJwxYI4eA1A22fcmtd6IVJsSqewCZ7pDfaLmx8wptnCk-ix1AAhqLOSgIpS4N7KwGSqSyXuhFLoVRrMG1pVsb_CU8337k/s1600/Monday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJEiTlALHNyCfmCXmC7BtaCfS8QU75gVxbZEE_Cvcp7sV6JqJwxYI4eA1A22fcmtd6IVJsSqewCZ7pDfaLmx8wptnCk-ix1AAhqLOSgIpS4N7KwGSqSyXuhFLoVRrMG1pVsb_CU8337k/s320/Monday.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-65217295113762491712014-05-18T21:41:00.003-04:002021-10-18T11:27:00.197-04:00Kilts at HamventionAn update to the previous post. The Amateur Radio convention in Dayton is now over for 2014. As before, I attended in a kilt. Wondering if I would be the only one. The answer was NO. Ran into three others. One from Kentucky and two more that were vendors at the show.<br />
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The weather was just terrible! Cold and wet. A few days before it was sunny and in the 80's. Good grief never fails. Weather turns to crap just in time for the convention and then turns nice when it is time to close down the show. So I had to change my intended kilt for this year. I wanted to use one I had on in 2012 (see last post picture). Nope, at the last minute went with the denim kilt from Union Kilts. The next day I had on a kilt from HOS in the "Freedom of Scotland" tartan. <br />
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-14652090603843340162014-05-13T00:10:00.002-04:002014-05-13T00:10:54.429-04:00you never know where you will show up on GoogleIt is that time of year again: Dayton Hamvention. This is a large gathering of Amateur Radio Operators in Dayton, Ohio. I have attended every year since I was 13 years old. This is my 44th year. I have been wearing a kilt to the event for the past few years. A kilt is rather rare at that event but I do see one or two some years.<br />
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Wearing a kilt does attract some attention and a few photographs are taken. Some like it, some don't as you would expect. Every now and then I run across a picture of myself on someone's web site. This one is apparently from 2012.<br />
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W4TI wrote up a nice <a href="http://w4ti.com/amateur-radio/dayton-2012-review">review</a> of the 2012 Hamvention. In that review is a picture of me in my kilt:<br />
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<img alt="Kilt" src="http://w4ti.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC03129-1024x768.jpg" />
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-37988133540153397202014-01-12T12:23:00.001-05:002014-01-12T12:23:15.644-05:00Kilt for Ball Joint DollA couple of posts ago I talked about a kilt I made for a doll. I now have a picture of the kilt on the doll. Meet Dy:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQQf3BFf1N6eogBFbpyXes_RMXXzR1kKhRMhiFde5GJgQMAgMxSOUTj2TsjivadkByY204y703v2L3sFEdMnpj9-Qk6Skr_2DKk2m4_8GimlGNLpzziE8TT_QyAOH1T0Pf3WaFmPwUro/s1600/Kilt_BJD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQQf3BFf1N6eogBFbpyXes_RMXXzR1kKhRMhiFde5GJgQMAgMxSOUTj2TsjivadkByY204y703v2L3sFEdMnpj9-Qk6Skr_2DKk2m4_8GimlGNLpzziE8TT_QyAOH1T0Pf3WaFmPwUro/s320/Kilt_BJD.jpg" /></a></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-34964278823150384972014-01-12T12:07:00.000-05:002014-01-12T12:07:45.694-05:00Kilts for Week of Jan 5, 2014This week has been rather cold. We dropped below zero (F) for a couple of days. We are back to something normal for this area (30's F). Not only was it cold the wind was rather gusty. Wind chills below -25F were not uncommon last week. So the kilts got a little less use last week. I don't mind zero degree weather if the wind is not blowing. Dead calm air, negative temperatures, and a heavy wool kilt is not too bad. Just keep the upper body warm including your head warm. For this week this is what made the cut:<br />
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Heritage of Scotland (MacDonald) </div>
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Heritage of Scotland (Freedom of Scotland)<br />
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USA Kilts Casual (Oakleigh<a class="fl" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&ved=0CEgQrAIwBg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xmarksthescot.com%2Fforum%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D10521&ei=VcvSUqzrHs23sASot4CIDA&usg=AFQjCNFbwbEyoEdmwUfj2fIM-N0gTfOHzQ&sig2=FCaeB7ajJohmi1ZEzmcKJA&bvm=bv.59026428,d.cWc"></a>)Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-85801970336900253952014-01-04T17:52:00.001-05:002014-01-04T17:52:47.122-05:00Kilt for Today - Jan 4, 2014To day we have a heatwave! At least compared to what we will have after tomorrow. It got just above freezing today. A little on the windy side. I took advantage of the warmer temperature to cut over the wind speed indicator from my old weather station to my new one. Did not wear the kilt for that. I needed about an hour outside to cut it over. Other than that distraction this is the kilt of the day:<br />
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This is a denim kilt from Union Kilts. <br />
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Heading out to the local Irish pub for dinner. Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-16092010348773975202014-01-03T20:24:00.002-05:002014-01-03T20:26:57.794-05:00Kilt for the ColdGot up this morning with the outside temperature at -1 F. It may have gotten up to +12F. At least it was sunny and no wind. For that temperature a high yardage heavy wool kilt is required. For me that would be the 8-1/2 yard kilt I made. It is 13-oz wool rather than 16 but that will have to do.<br />
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I have found that as long as you keep your head covered and the upper body warm the rest will take care of itself. Unless of course you plan on spending all day in very cold temperatures with the kilt. For most of us the extent of our actual time in the cold is going from the car parking lot into a building. I am not out in the elements that long for my legs to feel more then just the presence of the cold air. Now add some wind at 10F which tends to pump any heat under kilt out and you will want to get inside without much delay. For the most part this works with the coldest temperatures we get in southwest Ohio. This is my January 2nd and 3rd kilt of the day. Earl of St. Andrews tartan, 8-1/2 yards, 13-oz wool. Lewis kilt hose which has some percentage of wool and that sweater. We also have about 5" of snow on the ground so a I added the Totes boots. They are a little big above the ankle so you can kick snow inside of the top of the boot if not careful. They are insulated and warm however. <br />
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I was out several times today. I am surprised no one made any comment about a wearing a kilt when it was 10 degrees. Yesterday someone did say I need "knee muffs". I got a kick out of that. I had on a hat and gloves so just my knees were exposed. With no wind today I was not cold. Just the feeling of the presents of the cold around my knees. I wondered how long I could stay out in this temperature with no wind before I would feel the effects of the cold around my legs. In the upper body I was plenty warm with my heavy coat, that sweater, gloves, and hat. <br />
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So this is my kilt of the day for Jan 2nd and 3rd, 2014.<br />
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The temperature is expected to be below zero (F) Sunday night and into the first part of next week. So I guess this kilt will be in the "kilt of the day" for a while as it is the warmest I have.</div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-85448467263288381022014-01-01T21:50:00.000-05:002014-01-03T20:25:55.788-05:00First Kilt of 2014<br />
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This is the first kilt of the new year:<br />
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Stillwater heavyweight in dark green.<br />
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Last year I wanted to take a picture of each kilt I wore everyday. Since I wear a kilt almost everyday I thought that would be a good thing to do. It was a good idea but a pain in the wazoo to actually do everyday. It is now the new year so if I am going to do that for 2014 I need to start now. Lets see how far I get this year. Don't hold your breath.<br />
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2013 was a good kilt year. I wore a kilt almost everyday if not for the full day at least for part of it. This works out to not wearing one to the office but after work, weekends, and those days I work from home or on vacation. I did wear the kilt to the office several times but I tend to reserve that for special occasions. It does not take much for me to declare a specal occation. Oh, they installed a new water cooler, must be a special occasion ;) <br />
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I attended another kilt class this time on contemporary kilts. In 2012 I took one on making traditional kilts. This year I hope to make more kilts. I am starting with some tartan I have had for a while. Did not know what it was for the longest time. Found out last year it is the "International Police Association" tartan. I will post more as I get into making it.<br />
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I just finished a very little kilt. It was made for a friends Ball Joint Doll. I hope it fits as I have never actually seen the doll in person. Went by measurements given. Fortunately it did not take long to make this if I need to do it again. <br />
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<span id="goog_330495512"></span><span id="goog_330495513"></span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-49292419088434448812013-06-16T11:12:00.001-04:002013-06-16T11:12:46.344-04:00Steampunk Kilt PinKilts and Steampunk just go together. I attended a Steampunk convention a couple of months ago. A number of guys were in kilts. Anything from traditional tartan to contemporary styles such as the Utilikilt. I even found one of the vendors selling utility type kilts using material with a Steampunk theme. The material was a little light for a kilt but looked good.<br />
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There is a lady that attends some of our kilt nights in Columbus, OH. Turns out she makes jewelry. She made a Steampunk kilt pin she calls a "key to time". She has a copyright on this design. Her company is <a href="http://www.elmjewelrydesigns.com/">ELM Jewelry Designs. </a><br />
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Now I need another Steampunk convention to go to so I can wear it. On second thought the next kilt night will do. <br />
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<br />Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-17501014762710012172013-04-06T09:16:00.001-04:002021-10-18T11:28:30.919-04:00<a href="http://s284.photobucket.com/user/PNn2222/media/Kilt/TartanDayApr6_zps5c5fadf0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="photo TartanDayApr6_zps5c5fadf0.jpg" border="0" src="http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/PNn2222/Kilt/TartanDayApr6_zps5c5fadf0.jpg" /></a><br />
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So why is Tartan Day celebrated on the 6 April each year? Because the Declaration of Arbroath was signed on the 6 April 1320:<br /> <br />
'As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any
conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory,
nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for<span class="text_exposed_show"> freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.'<br /> <br />
This is a translation of part of the Declaration of Arbroath, foremost
among Scotland's state papers and perhaps the most famous historical
record held by the National Records of Scotland (NRS). The Declaration
is a letter from the barons and whole community of the kingdom of
Scotland to the pope in 1320, asking him to recognize Scotland's
independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful
king.<br /> <br /> The Declaration was in Latin and was sealed by eight
earls and about forty barons. Over the centuries various copies and
translations have been made, including a recent microscopic edition.<br /> <br />
You can visit the National Records of Scotland website to view an image
of the original declaration, use 'zoomify' to see the detail of the
text and seals, and read a transcript or translation of the document.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">More information:</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan_day">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan_day</a> </span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-3024505692662078092013-03-03T14:42:00.002-05:002013-03-03T14:42:45.244-05:00Kilt comment by author Lillian Stewart CarlRan across <a href="http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php/archives/real-men-wear-kilts/">this blog entry</a> written by author Lillian Stewart Carl. I wanted to post it here otherwise I will forget where I found it. Good for future reference. I particularly liked the comment about modern kilts including utility type kilts. <br />
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In addition to kilt quotes don't forget about this classic from the Honorable Stuart R. Erskine in his book <i>The Kilt and How to Wear it</i>, published in 1901:<br />
"The
Highland dress is essentially a 'free' dress -- that is to say, a man's taste
and circumstances must alone be permitted to decide when and where and how he
should wear it... I presume to dictate to no man what he shall eat or drink or
wherewithal he shall be clothed."Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-6279224876171699322013-03-03T14:35:00.000-05:002013-03-03T14:35:17.634-05:00Other Kilt BlogsAs I run across other kilt blogs I like to post them on my blog. Check out this one by Nicholas Breaux:<br />
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http://nomadicdrwarf.blogspot.com/<br />
<br />He has four posts in February that right on the mark. Check out his blog.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-90479308217207784592013-03-03T11:04:00.001-05:002021-10-18T11:39:28.389-04:00Changing of the TemperatureNow that we are in March the average daily high temperature will increase by 12 degrees by the time we get to April 1st. Then another 11 degrees in April. As the temperatures go up my selection of kilts and how I wear them will change. As someone who thinks a severe winter is when the temperature goes below 60F I wear kilts in a warmer configuration during the winter. Now that I have a good heavy wool kilt (the one I made last summer, see earlier posts) I have been getting a lot of use out of it. I also wear my Union Kilt leather during the winter and not so much in the summer. In the winter I wear mostly Lewis kilt hose. <br />
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The Lewis line of socks is nice and heavy with some wool in them if I recall. Nice and warm in the winter. In the summer I only wear those if I need to go someplace nice. For the summer it is boot socks or regular knee socks pushed down. Finding knee socks can be a problem. Over the past couple of years I have experimented with various types of knee socks. Most of mine now come from Sock Dreams. They have a line I think they call “Crunch” socks. The have recognized that guys like these for kilts so they have them identified as such. Sock Dreams sells mostly to women but they have found guys have a need for some of their longer socks. A few years back I also found Gold Toe knee socks for guys in white and black. I wear a lot of the black in the summer pushed down. For the white it has enough cotton that it will take a dye very well. I have dyed a few to get other colors like a tan and green. I have trouble finding true boot socks. Boot socks are a little longer than crew socks. I tried Soccer socks but did not like the look. Some of those have color stripes or sports wording on them. I have kind of given up on socks in color in the summer. Anymore I tend to just go with black and be done with it. My shoes are black. <br />
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For shoes the summer is kind of backwards. With socks pushed down my favorite shoe is 10” boot. There may be some pictures of that configuration in older posts. I got those boots at Sears a few years back. They carry a Harley Davison name plate. Now in the summer one would think something lighter would work better and the boots would be for the winter. Looking at pictures of causal kilts in the summer a lot of the guys are wearing boots. Something like hiking boots from 8” to 10” tall. In the winter apparently wearing kilt socks up to the knee with boots is some kind of kilt no-no. I will do it if snow is on the ground but other than that a low dress shoe is the choice for most fair weather winter days. <br />
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Some wear sandals (barefoot, no socks) with their casual kilt outfit. I am just not an open toe shoe guy. For some reason I don’t like to wear shoes like that. I have worn cloth running type shoes but those just don’t look right with normal crew socks, or socks pushed down. Almost better with no socks at all. I think I should take the attitude of wearing shoes I wear with shorts and do the same with the kilt. That would be the cloth shoes with crew socks. This summer I will get another opportunity to revisit this topic again. <br />
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I also tend to wear more utility type kilts in the summer rather than winter. During the winter it was almost always tartan kilts. I do have a heavy denim kilt (Union Kilts) that gets worn in the winter and not in the summer. The thing has so much material in it that summer is rather warm for that one. For summer tartan kilts you can’t beat the real PV kilts from USAKilts. I have a couple of them and those will get a lot of use this summer. <br />
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For shirts I wear long sleeve polo shirts in the winter. Also long sleeve button down shirts if I want something a little nicer. In the summer it will be short sleeve polo shirts, t-shirts (some with kilt related statements on them), and short sleeve button down shirts for nicer occasions. A kilt jacket only for something very nice that more than likely involves wearing a tie. <br />
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So bring on summer so I can swap out the wardrobe in the closet and ditch this heavy winter coat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf5_qnvZZbLfKP1_2PGlTRyUhWmp-Vogrxgtf_QThfhLp96HeByaBQxl1m3E5sSEG4elrhyphenhyphenh4aE9dSgkeZUd3EWsUKqCMIPGjtstV77QPLCHb-JkPcVbfR-Kic5YDUB7DI3poQkY42gU/s2048/Kilts_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf5_qnvZZbLfKP1_2PGlTRyUhWmp-Vogrxgtf_QThfhLp96HeByaBQxl1m3E5sSEG4elrhyphenhyphenh4aE9dSgkeZUd3EWsUKqCMIPGjtstV77QPLCHb-JkPcVbfR-Kic5YDUB7DI3poQkY42gU/s320/Kilts_0051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Winter Look with the 8.5 yard, 13oz wool, kilt I made </p><p></p><p></p><p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWi2-Wrg56uPxPXkqfFwBQMFIuoPO4l96jWtKNuNWLUmkgnCqDKMEX-Z6LOeBXodXGp9jAyGmQmlwTImOADacmFFTvywy7SnHPu6hrwMjEmoZffbu6CcnhDebWPca3-dtBN917g7I5mvk/s2048/Oakleigh_USAK_0500a_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWi2-Wrg56uPxPXkqfFwBQMFIuoPO4l96jWtKNuNWLUmkgnCqDKMEX-Z6LOeBXodXGp9jAyGmQmlwTImOADacmFFTvywy7SnHPu6hrwMjEmoZffbu6CcnhDebWPca3-dtBN917g7I5mvk/s320/Oakleigh_USAK_0500a_1.jpg" width="210" /></a></p><p>Summer look with a causal PV kilt from USAKilts<br /> </p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-63574031251057378362013-03-02T12:12:00.001-05:002013-03-03T11:22:09.402-05:00Kilts And On-line DatingOnce again time sure flies by. We have made it to March. That is a good thing as March is a month where the temperature finally starts to rise to something more liking to my comfort zone. So what have I been doing all winter? Gosh, not much when it comes down to it. I had a number of projects in the queue and not many have been finished. I always under estimate how long something will take. Of course, my estimates might be on target but I let myself get distracted and change priorities. During the past year I have been playing around with something I thought I would never do: online dating.<br />
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The first site I was on a year ago was Match. This is supposed to be one of the best. This one requires a subscription to be useful. The free account is on this site is useless. I signed up for a six month membership. If you ever get on this site take the optional feature for a timestamp of when your messages are read. I found that to be useful. Also, be careful of requests to chat with someone off of the Match chat network. These will mostly be scammers. You may just want to turn off the chat feature. I found no legitimate women used chat. All the chat requests I got were scammers or fake profiles. Ok, so much for the general warnings. So how did I do on Match? To be honest it was a waste of time. I sent out 25 messages in three months. I got back 5 replies. All but one was negative. By that I mean the lady was not interested. Now I was not expecting to get 25 positive responses for 25 outgoing messages. Gosh, I can’t be doing 25 first dates or trying to contact 25 women and keep it all straight. So I expected negative responses to way out number positive ones. In theory you really only need ONE good response. What I did not expect was the lack of responses. When I send out an initial message I would study the person’s profile and comment on what was there. I did not send out canned messages or simple “hi how are you” messages. I took the time to read the profile and respond. I expected the lady to at least read the message and acknowledge it. Instead most just ignored the message. This is where the read receipt comes in handy. You can also tell when someone looks at your profile. I sent a message to one lady and she looked at my profile but NEVER read the message. Sorry, but that shows lack of character in my book. You are on this site so play the game.<br />
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From a woman’s stand point my profile is nothing to get anyone excited. I think you have to be a good BS’er to write a good profile. You should be honest and not put anything in there that is not true. You need to write up whatever you are about in a manner that will make someone want to find out more about you. So you need to be a good wordsmith more or less. That I am not. You also need very good profile pictures. Guys, don’t do the bare chest thing. I understand that is a turn off unless you are young and really have six-pack abs. Also, none of this standing in front of a mirror with a cell phone camera. Get some good pictures of yourself dressed nice. Forget the expensive cars in the shot too.<br />
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I have come to the conclusion, at least for my age group, that women want a guy that fits the standard template of the American male. I am not sure what that is but something along the lines of he plays a little golf or some sport, wears his Levis a certain way, can wear a suit, does not have comb-over, never wears socks with sandals, never wears shorts or if he does they are never higher than the knee, has a boat, etc. I always wanted to test this theory by creating a fake profile and go back to the same women where I got no response and see what happens. Of course I could never follow through with any ongoing messages. I never took the time to do this.<br />
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In my profile I don’t fit the typical American male. First I am not sports inclined. I don’t have a boat. I do keep physically fit and ride a recumbent bike which helps. Also, no surprise here if you read this blog, I wear kilts. Not just for Celtic fests but at least 50% of the time. So what impact does the kilt have when it comes to on-line dating. I figured it would be negative at least in the part of the country I live in. To test that theory when I was on match I changed my profile to remove all pictures and kilt comments. Unfortunately I did not stay on Match long enough afterwards to see if anything had changed. I dumped the subscription three months into the six month term.<br />
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Later I signed up one on of the free sites. Made some changes to the profile but again all real and the kilts were still there. On this free site I received a better response rate to messages but still most were a no-response. I did get two dates out of the free site. I only got one out of match. For the most part men are going to have to initiate the first contact. I hate to say this but when I did get a first contact initiated by the lady it was from someone that I doubt was getting any messages from men so they were getting a little more aggressive. I did get one first contact from a lady that was ok. She contacted me because of the kilts. We exchanged a few messages. I got the feeling that she thought I only wore the kilt for Celtic fests and Celtic music performances. When she found out I have 20 kilts she started to ask more questions. Once she found out I wear them more often her attitude completely changed. I got a message from her and she went off on me about the wind blowing up a kilt and not wanting see what was under the kilt. Good grief! Chill out chick. I responded about how a traditional heavy wool kilt is made with the pleats sewn down to the fell and the sporran in the front will limit what blows up where. Never heard back from her. Thankful for that!<br />
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The second one was even stranger. I got a first response from a lady five years older than myself. She was attractive and looked like she took care of herself. She was in shape and not overweight. She did not say anything about the kilts in the messages we exchanged. She commented more about the dog I had in one of my pictures. In fact, when we meet, she wanted me to bring along the dog. OK, maybe she just wanted to date my dog. We decided to meet in a park where we could walk the dog then go to a coffee shop nearby. The few times I actually got to meet someone (once on Match and now twice on the free site) I suggested we have lunch or dinner at an Irish restaurant/pub. That way the kilt would not be entirely out of place. Meeting at park caused a problem. Jeans might be more appropriate. The day we were to meet was a nice day so I wore the kilt in a more casual configuration. When I arrived she was not surprised I had on the kilt. We talked some about the tartan and kilt history. We then went to the coffee shop. I must have spent about 2 hours with her. She asked if I wanted her phone number. Sure, I thought I would go out with her again so we exchanged information. When I returned home I sent her a message thanking her for the nice afternoon and I would be in touch. I figured I would call her the following evening. There is a Celtic band playing in town next week and I thought I would take her to that. The next morning I had a message from her.<br />
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This message came via the dating site and was time stamped a little after midnight. I was shocked at the content of the message. She went off about how it was inappropriate to wear a kilt, they were for formal events only, yada, yada, yada. I was very tempted to disagree and send her a link to a document about the kilt being the only MALE garment that can be dressed up or down from casual to formal (examples in pictures included in the document). And good grief when the kilts were first commonly worn they sure as hell were not formal garments. I ended up just sending a reply that stated kilts were not for everyone and I wished her the best. I figure she must have talked to someone or maybe spent the evening looking up kilts on Google to find something she did not like.<br />
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That is the reason why my profile and first encounter includes the kilt. I want to uncover any rejections before we get too far into a relationship. Unfortunately with my first wife that did not happen. When she discovered I had an interest in kilts she went ballistic over them. There are a few ladies that appreciate the kilt just hard to find. Western society really has a hang-up with non-bifurcated garments on men.<br />
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Overall online dating sites are a waste of time for most people (male and female). You don’t get the chemistry that two people have then they meet person-to-person in the course of daily life. What you get is an unrealistic expectation based on what the computer says you should be. So when you do meet this person more than likely it will be a let-down. I don’t expect I will continue online dating much longer. I really have better things to do and would be more productive getting out in public to find that someone special. I have never been one to think that there is someone for everyone. If you find someone great, but otherwise you can still have a great life as a single person.
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-60628025536070284072012-12-09T13:28:00.000-05:002012-12-09T13:28:57.909-05:00This Thought Has Crossed My Mind Several TimesI was looking at <a href="http://oldfoolskilts.blogspot.com">Old Fools Kilts blog</a>. I found this posted on his blog:
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So I said to the boys "hello girls".
"We're not girls" they replied.
I said "you're dressed like girls".
They immediately pointed out that I was the one wearing a skirt. I had on a kilt.
I then asked "when was the last time you saw a female in anything but pants?"
Silence.
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I have thought this several times. No one has said this to me yet but if I ever get a comment something like "why are you dressed like a girl" my response will be similar to the above. When I am out I see the guys and gals all dressed in jeans. So who is dressed like a girl?
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4272629945534696752.post-57924072393053003412012-12-09T13:20:00.001-05:002021-10-18T11:54:12.124-04:00Complements when wearing utility/contemporary kitls<p>Wow, it has been forever and a day since I posted anything. I still wear kilts about 50% of the time. Just busy with life I guess.
Normally any complements I get wearing a kilt occur with traditional tartan kilts. Everyone identifies with style of kilt. The contemporary kilts appear to be another matter. Granted they look more casual then then their tartan brother so that may be part of the reason. I think for many they don't know what they are looking at so even if they like them they don't say anything.
I ran out to lunch wearing a contemporary kilt. An attractive lady, maybe in her mid 30's, walked up to me an complemented me on the kilt.
Over the weekend I attended a couple of Christmas dinner events. Wearing my best tartan kilt and a little dressed up I received several questions and complements. I don't have a picture of what I had on. I will try to get one over the next few days. I have other events to attend and will wear the same thing.
Wear your kilt and have some fun! </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEEvJ_3_UQZNSEi7y8FrCT2j3jP4XEblkbiS1U5adzQS3-mHAxclCAXSEWD5j-BZSTWlelHRuhyXHWQWBym_pV-VxXEyNgy72ixBiv7BIaAE92Qqp0Mdgty5xdhwEwiPDbX7mYt0ecXQ/s2048/FreedomKilt_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEEvJ_3_UQZNSEi7y8FrCT2j3jP4XEblkbiS1U5adzQS3-mHAxclCAXSEWD5j-BZSTWlelHRuhyXHWQWBym_pV-VxXEyNgy72ixBiv7BIaAE92Qqp0Mdgty5xdhwEwiPDbX7mYt0ecXQ/s320/FreedomKilt_0019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15413170317983344030noreply@blogger.com0