Important Notice for Students attending my Kiltmaking classes at Fleming College

I will be teaching 'basic' and 'advanced' kiltmaking classes this year at Haliburton School of the Arts.

The 'Basic' course will be held during the week of 6 - 11 August. During this 6-day course the student will make a 4-yard 'casual' kilt.

The Advanced Class will run 13 - 18 August. The course content will continue directly from the previous week's instruction, and the student will apply the lessons-learned in the previous week to make an 8-yard kilt.

During this second week the student will also have the opportunity to practive laying-out pleats using a wide variety of different tartans.

The student will also learn how to make a shoulder plaid and how to effect alterations and repairs. I intend to bring several kilts in need of repair to use as training aids.

Kilt-cloth is expensive;

- a 'casual' kilt requires 4 or 5 yards of 16oz 'single-width' (27") or 2 - 3 yards of 'double-width' (57") cloth. Even at 'Trade' prices this will cost around $200

- a full kilt requires 8 yards single or 4 yards double width cloth of the same quality,(at around $400) and

- a shoulder-plaid requires 3 yards of single-width cloth.(at around $120)for a total of about $720!

If you want to attend both classes, here are some ideas about how to save some money:

- Option One; - buy 11 yards single-width or 6 yards double-width cloth (let's say $500-600). During part one of the course you will use 4 yards of single-width to make the casual kilt. For the advanced class, you can unpick your work (having taken copious notes and photographs!) and then re-use that 4 yards with the rest of the cloth in order to make the 8-yard kilt and the shoulder-plaid.

- Option Two; - buy 7 yards single-width or 4 yards double-width cloth ($400-ish). During part one you make the Casual kilt (which you then keep intact). During part two you make the shoulder-plaid and participate in all of the exercises short of making an 8-yard kilt. By the end of the week you WILL have gained the ability to make an 8-yard kilt.

I recommend "Burnett's & Struth" in Barrie Ontario for kilt cloth. The weight of cloth you need is called 'Strome' (woven by Lochcarron) or "K/1" (woven by D.C. Dalgliesh). Burnett's & Struth sometimes offers cloth at 'sale' prices.

You CAN buy the cloth from me (I buy only from Dalgliesh) but I need at least 6 weeks notice as most of their cloth is custom-woven to order.

The Mill WILL accept rush orders, subject to a 10% surcharge in addition to the courier's exorbinate fee...

Don't worry too much about what tartan to choose if you intend to make another kilt or kilts after you've attended this course -save the hunt for the Perfect Tartan for later!