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We hosted a contest in February for the oldest Folkwear make that our customers could share. We had many amazing entries -- some with photos (older and newer) and some with just stories (garments passed on or disappearing in ensuing years). It was fun to see what our incredible customers made over the years. We absolutely loved seeing and hearing about each garment, each project, and each story that went with the garments. Folkwear clothes hold special memories for people. They create connections between generations, between people, and across cultures.
Today, we are sharing a few more of the entries from this contest below. And, if you have a story about a Folkwear garment, share it in the comments. We all love to read them.
First, we have several items from our other contest winner (chosen at random), Sue. She says: "I started collecting Folkware Patterns in the late 1970s. Unfortunately, I only have a few of those patterns now. I made the mistake of loaning them out & never got them back. . . . I didn't take pictures of the many things I made with them. I sure wish I had!" Here are some of the photos she has.
Valerie Ruthardt
March 12, 2026
My comment is not about the good old days, although I started to sew in 1969 at age 11. I have a Home Economics degree and I was a Make It With Wool Contest judge 30-plus years ago in Minnesota.
I recently bought the Scottish Kilt pattern 152 because it includes a Price Charlie jacket and instructions for a child’s kilt. In the early 2000’s I made 7 kilts while my husband and son were in a competitive pipes-and-drums band in Idaho. I had read and saved the Threads magazine article about kilt sewing, but actually used “The Art of Kiltmaking” book. I very highly recommend it as an excellent reference to add to the pattern if you have occasion to print another edition of it.
In September ‘25 my husband and I went on a quilter’s tour to Scotland of which the theme was “From Fiber to Fabric.” We toured the Lochcaren weaving mill and bought fabric to make my son (the piper) a kilt in my mother-in-law’s Taylor clan tartan. He still plays, sometimes for paying gigs, and I think the Prince Charlie jacket would be an excellent addition to his outfit. My daughter-in-law has also asked me to make a kid’s kilt for the grandsons.
So, when the pattern arrived I read completely through it hoping to gain some new knowledge pertaining to constructing the jacket. Boy, was I surprised to see the Singer Tailoring Book listed in the references at the end of the pattern. I sewed many of the samples for the photos in that book (and my gravity-feed iron was used because it was new-ish and still pretty shiny)!!!! Seeing the name in print was a real thrill, and I even rushed to show it to my husband. He remembers me sewing all of the lapel and collar samples, as well as some of the pocket samples.
I am definitely going to use Folkwear pattern 152 to make the Prince Charlie jacket when I have finished the kilt. I reversed the sewing order to put all of the pleat pressing first, so it could be done one crease at a time, rather than at the very end with multiple layers underneath, which limits how sharp the creases turn out. Now I am hand-sewing the back of the waistline, where all of the size-related shaping occurs. I’m still undecided about sewing the kids’ kilt, since the fabric was roughly $100 per yard. I may order a less expensive lighter-weight dancer’s tartan fabric for the kids.