POLL-Do you want this tartan?

[biblemonkey]

Disclaimer: This thread is not meant to suppress or detract from any religion, belief system, or person. This thread is meant to inquire as to the interest in getting a custom tartan created and woven and not foster a religious discussion.

During a recent thread the idea for a "Christian Tartan" came up. I know that there are numerous religious tartans based on saints, charites, etc but it occurred to me that unless you feel an affiliation wih those particular movements or figures, there really isn't a tartan that simply states, "I am born again." After a little chatting back and forth on that thread here is what I have decided.

I am willing, if there is enough interest, to move forward with helping to design a custom tartan based upon the "Apostolic Creed" which, along with the "Nicene Creed", is held to be a basic statement of Christian belief across the vast majority of denominations. The question I put to you is not whether you think this is a good idea or if you have any design ideas, but if it was created and it looked good would you commit to buying the custom tartan and having a kilt made as our fellow xmarkers did with the cthulu tartan? Or is this a neat idea but you would not invest in it?

Depending on the responses I get I will decide whether we have enough interest to move forward with the next phase. Just as a little heads up, here is what Matt Newsome sent me on getting custom tartan made.

“The basics of my tartan design and recording service are laid out here:
http://albanach.org/design.html

In brief, I charge $1500 if you want me to create the design for you, and that price also include the production of 5 yards of woolen material from Dalgliesh, and recording your tartan with both the Scottish Tartans Authority and the National Tartan Register.

That fee is adjustable if you want something other than what is laid out on my web site. For example, if you want/need additional cloth, that would cost more (though I strongly recommend having a small amount woven so you can see it "in the flesh" before you invest in a large run). If you don't want it registered with the National Register, that would lower the cost. If you want me to also make a kilt for you from the cloth, that would add to the cost, etc.

The other option is if you create the tartan design yourself. In that case I would still be happy to have the cloth woven for you, even to help with the registration process, etc., but you would only be paying for those specific services. Currently the cost per yard for custom weaves is $85/yd for the heavy weight 15 oz cloth. Minimum order is only 4 yards. For the shorter runs, the cloth is woven 29" wide, but if you order 30+ yards I can provide it at 54" wide at the same per yard price (so you are essentially getting twice the material for the same cost).”

Let the voting begin!

Again, THIS IS NOT A COMMITMENT TO BUY. This is just asking IF it was made and IF you liked the finished product would you want to contribute to the cause and get some tartan? If I get enough positive votes I will be posting further threads for the design to be held by "committee" so to speak among participating Xmarkers.

[Nighthawk]

For the Christians on this board, I think this is a really great idea. I would not wear it myself, being that I'm pagan and would be falsely representing myself, but I think it's a good idea.

[Java]

I does sound like a neat idea. Unfortunately, being a poor pastor I have to save for well over a year to buy a custom woven kilt, and my denomination has both standard and hunting tartans that I would like to have first. So I would be of no use to you for a loooong time.

[O'Searcaigh]

The two choices for voting amount to the same thing: "I'm in" and: "I would buy it" -- Perhaps you meant to say:"but I would not buy it"???

[McClef]

I have corrected the second choice to "would not buy it" as biblemonkey indicated it should have read.

[Zardoz]

As someone who is not religious, I have to commend y'all on the 'leap of faith' required to commit to buying a tartan without seeing it first!

[rlloyd]

I'm most definitely interested and, possibly, for 8 yards.

[bdkilted]

The idea of a Christian faith based tartan is wonderful, but I'm afraid I am not able to afford the cost. It would be a great conversation and witness piece though when wearing it.

[Tobus]

I voted no, but wanted to explain why, instead of just an anonymous no.

For starters, as Zardoz pointed out, it's hard to ask people to commit to a tartan that hasn't been designed yet. I realize that there's cost involved in just the design, and it would be difficult to put the money down on designing it without any feedback on whether you'd be able to recuperate that cost. But by the same token, you're asking people to commit to hundreds of dollars worth of tartan material that they may end up not liking.

But more importantly, for me, I think the "tartan proliferation" today is getting out of hand. There doesn't need to be a unique tartan for every possible organization or way of thinking. Christianity has a plethora of existing symbols that one can wear to identify oneself as a believer, so this seems like a bit of a redundant move. I kind of lean toward the traditional mindset that the really meaningful tartans out there are the original clan tartans, as well as a few district/regional/historical tartans. Designing new tartans outside of this context seems to muddy the waters, so to speak. Meaningful though they may be, I just don't think it's appropriate to tartanize every affiliation we have in life.

So while I applaud your motivation and reasoning for this concept, I have to say, I would not be interested. And the weird thing is, it feels bad to say that, since this is a positive idea, brought forth in a spirit of brotherly camaraderie amongst fellow Christians (of which I am one). My gut feels like I'm saying no to religion somehow, even though I'm only saying no to the idea of a future tartan.

[biblemonkey]

I voted no, but wanted to explain why, instead of just an anonymous no.

For starters, as Zardoz pointed out, it's hard to ask people to commit to a tartan that hasn't been designed yet. I realize that there's cost involved in just the design, and it would be difficult to put the money down on designing it without any feedback on whether you'd be able to recuperate that cost. But by the same token, you're asking people to commit to hundreds of dollars worth of tartan material that they may end up not liking.

But more importantly, for me, I think the "tartan proliferation" today is getting out of hand. There doesn't need to be a unique tartan for every possible organization or way of thinking. Christianity has a plethora of existing symbols that one can wear to identify oneself as a believer, so this seems like a bit of a redundant move. I kind of lean toward the traditional mindset that the really meaningful tartans out there are the original clan tartans, as well as a few district/regional/historical tartans. Designing new tartans outside of this context seems to muddy the waters, so to speak. Meaningful though they may be, I just don't think it's appropriate to tartanize every affiliation we have in life.

So while I applaud your motivation and reasoning for this concept, I have to say, I would not be interested. And the weird thing is, it feels bad to say that, since this is a positive idea, brought forth in a spirit of brotherly camaraderie amongst fellow Christians (of which I am one). My gut feels like I'm saying no to religion somehow, even though I'm only saying no to the idea of a future tartan.

No need to feel badly about it. And I understand it is hard to put one's "Aye" to an idea not yet in view but that's why I included the disclaimer "if it looks good." Also, the next step, which I am waiting for the poll results to ask about, would have been a design process involving input from all of those who are interested, from colors to threads.