Tacoma

Traditional

Kiltmaker

Margaret McNeill Nelson

I have been a member of the Scottish Community in Washington state all my life. My dad was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a piper in the Boys Brigade and the Highland Light Infantry. When he moved to Seattle, he helped lead the Seattle Pipe Band and was a lead instructor in the Seattle area. He taught me to play pipes and I played in Seattle Pipe Band with him. When I moved to Tacoma, I joined the Tacoma Scots Pipe Band. I taught my children to play pipes and continue to teach individual pipe students. As an active member of the community, I believe it is important to continue celebrating our heritage and clan backgrounds.

My mom taught me to sew at an early age. These skills have followed me through my life, making clothes and quilts, as well as resizing or repairing kilts for friends. Several years ago, I learned how to make kilts and have made several for family and friends. Making appropriate and traditionally hand-sewn kilts has become a passion for me.

For more information about getting a kilt made, resized, or repaired, send inquires to Margaret at TacomaTraditionalKiltmaker@gmail.com

Traditional Kilts

Modern kilts evolved from the "big wrap" (feileadh mor) which emerged in the late 16th century. The "little wrap" (feileadh beag) originated in the first quarter of the eighteenth century. It is typically made with 8 yards of tartan fabric. The front of the kilt is flat, with 2 pieces lapped over each other and open on the right. The pleats in the back are hand sewn from waist to hip, leaving the back of the kilt to sway. There are 2 types of pleating. When a kilt is pleated to sett, the pleats are folded to repeat the pattern of the tartan (as shown at the left). When a kilt is pleated to stripe (also known as military pleating), the pleat is folded to show the same stripe. The back then looks quite different than the front of the kilt.