Statement of Intent

This is Old Fools outlet for kilts and other unbifurcated garments for men or women. It is not for furthering cross dressing or costuming. It is for the furthering of alternate apparel for men and sometimes will discuss bifurcated (trousers, pants, etc.) garments as well. Since women can and do wear anything they want little will be said about womens clothing. That is not to say that nothing will be said about them. If men want to dress and look like a woman that is fine with me and some do it very well. Here, however, the intent is about men that want alternate mens clothing. The Old Fool (me) is not an expert in this field but he sews, has made several kilts, modified store bought kilts and wears them. I also wear sarongs, pareu, lava lava and anything else that is comfortable and practical. Some of my kilts might be called skirts but I am comfortable with that.

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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.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Old Fools Kilts: Ironing pleats

If the world were a logical place, men would ride side saddle. 
 ~Rita Mae Brown

Ironing is so out of style these days that when I bring it up I am sometimes treated as if I have suddenly sprouted another head.  Eyes glaze over, especially the females, and men snicker. Children have no idea what I am talking about.  I happen to like to do it. It is a mindless thing that accomplishes something while my mind is free to wander about on it's own.

The picture above is of a wool kilt that I made and it does not need ironing often but I had just moved a Velcro closure strip because my waist has gone down two inches since I made it.  I'll tell about this kilt in another post.

I hadn't intended to do this job at this time but SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) had a pair of pants that needed hemming so I had the irons out anyway.  When I set up the sewing machine I automatically set up the ironing board. Having it handy makes sewing so much easier.

The reason for two irons is so I have a cold iron for drawing heat out of a pleat I have just steamed. That helps to set it.  The white steam iron on the right is very light and does a good job of steaming.  The iron on the kilt is twenty years old or more as it still has a cloth wrapped cord. I works fine but I bought it for it's weight (thrift store one dollar).  It weighs more than double the new iron.  For years I have looked for a cast iron type that is set on the stove to heat but every time I find one it is an antique and to costly for me. Mostly those end up as doorstops or bookends I think.

The technique I use is to set it on a pleat just ironed while ironing the next.  This iron will cover two pleats.  It may sound tedious but the results are worth it.
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3 comments:

  1. ShadowmossJune 12, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    Over on a hammock/hiking message board I frequent there was a truly entertaining thread prompted by this video, which is a review of a sport hiking kilt. Unfortunately its in the donating members only area. Several of the guys talked about wearing kilts.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XqiGxO3rDk&feature=player_embedded

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  2. OldfoolJune 12, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    Thanks. It's a nice review of a Sport Kilt. I don't own one as I just haven't felt the need to buy what I can make. I may someday, they have a lot of tartans I like and features in their kilts that I like.

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  3. Gwen BuchananJuly 2, 2012 at 6:31 PM

    OF, Your methods of using the two irons is ingenious!! I never thought of that before. great ideas.
    ..... the iron I have now was given to me by an elderly nurse(who has since passed away 10 yrs.ago)and it belonged to her mother... it has a cloth cord also and It still works perfectly although I never use the steam part of it... it's heavy too.

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