Dress MacLean of Duart Progress

It's beginning to look like a kilt. The pleats are sew down and since this picture was taken I've basted the whole hem, sewed half the hem and basted some apron edges. Still lots more work to do. Soon I'll be delayed by the fact that I haven't bought hair canvas yet. I know where to get it, but that will entail a trip to Lancaster Co. The details:

Tartan: Dress Maclean of Duart
Length: 2.5 yds, double width cloth (could have used 3!)
Dancer: Erin
Waist 24.25"
Hip 31"
Splits: Waist 12.75" apron, 11.5" pleats
Hip 15" apron, 16" pleats
Length: 24" = 19.5" + 2" rise + 3" hem
Fell: 7 1/6"
Pleated to the stripe: 19 pleats
Pleat width at waist 5/8"
Pleat width at hips 7/8"



When I started the pleats looked like this:
Obviously a little uneven pleat width and some are off by a thread or two.

By the end of sewing the pleats, they were looking quite a bit better:

I'm trying to resist my perfectionist side and not redo the pleats that are off. From a foot or two away it isn't really noticeable and certainly won't be from stage. We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow. Hmm, the more I look, the more I'm thinking rip!

Hon Fest Prep

On Saturday, a friend and our daughters are heading to Baltimore for the Hon Fest. This is a slightly belated fortieth birthday celebration. At first I wasn't going to do the whole dressing the part thing. I was hoping to find something at the Goodwill that might work, but if I didn't, oh well. But, the more I thought, the more the bug bit. This could really be fun. So, yesterday I went to Joann's and found a vintage pattern and the most perfect fabric (in my opinion) and made this. Today we stopped by a different Joann's and got some fabric for a cute scarf and some flowers and butterflies and things to stick in our hairdos. One more stop to Payless for some black sandals tomorrow and I should be set. I'm hoping Trish has some big earrings and I've located the perfect set of faux pearls for around my neck. Pictures on Monday!

You've got to visit the Hon Fest website to see all the kitsch.

More highland wear

Another accomplishment of Feb/March was completing a new Arisaid or Aboyne outfit for Erin. And a new highland vest for her as well. She had quite a growth spurt and nothing fit her very well. With three competitions in March, I needed to get her outfitted.

Sew Busy

I've been sewing up a storm, but don't have any pictures to share yet. Mostly roman shades for the house and potential costumes for Erin for Highland dance. I finally got the right combination of velvet and plaid for her outfit! As soon as the buttons come in I'll post a picture. I'm happy to have sold a couple of rovings on Etsy. That has inspired me to have a go at dyeing some more.

In the meantime, if you haven't seen the mockumentary "Wooly Bullies" go to Whipup and check it out - it is hysterical.

Highland Headbands

I've been busy making tartan headbands to sell for the benefit of the highland dance workshop that we'll be going to in a couple of weeks. Thirty at $5 a piece will bring in a little cash if they all go. They are reversible and made with real tartan that I bought from the scraps of our local kilt shop. Fun stuff and my girls love them too. I've got a couple over at Etsy which I'm selling for bit more than at the Workshop ($5 is a nice round number to collect at the table). If they go I'll be making more. It would be a nice way to pay for all the competitions we'll be going to in the coming year! I basically used this tutorial, although similar ones can be found. Super easy, just looking at one should be enough to figure it out.

Kilted Bear and a' that

My husband returned from a men's conference that was held by our family of churches on Saturday. There were many interesting stories, testimonies of God's grace and meaningful conversations with other men. However, one particular story demanded a response, really. Our pastor provided the comic relief for the retreat and on one evening he donned a kilt and took issue with the small contingent of men from Wales. Lumping the Welsh in with the rest of Great Britain he apparently made fun of tea, the queen, kilts and sporrans. (Please understand that this was all for effect, he doesn't seriously have a beef with the UK or its culture.) The children and I had visited our local kilt shop (yes, we have one) that day to pick up some tartan scraps for making headbands to sell at a upcoming Scottish Dance event. Erin recalled to Ewan that there was a bookmark at the store that said the MacFarlane motto is "This I'll defend!"


We talked for awhile and came up with a plan. A kilted bear, a basket of goodies from the UK including a Wallace and Gromit CD and a book by the Scottish theologian Horatius Bonar. And finally, since I had some sheep liver in my freezer, I'd make a little pot haggis (as best I could) and Ewan would challenge him to eat it!

We presented it to him after the service, where he was shocked to learn that Ewan was married in a kilt. He was such a good sport and tried the haggis - and said it wasn't bad. We hope that rest of the goodies will be enjoyable to the whole family.

The title for this post was a riff from the Burn's song "A Man's A Man for A' That".