Custom Run of Carolina Tartan...Who's In?

[davidlpope]

I'm seeing if there is any interest out there for a custom run of the Carolina tartan in a 16oz. double-width cloth. If there is enough interest to generate 30 yards, then D. C. Dalgleish will weave it as a double-width cloth. If there isn't enough interest, then it will have to be done as a single-width fabric.

I've grabbed the image below from a post by Scott. It shows his kilt pin as well as a close up of the colors I would have it woven in. Chime in on the colors, if you'd be interested instead in the Ancient color scheme, etc...

[pipesndrumsnun]

Can't afford to join you, but I dig the kilt pin!!

[pdcorlis]

Cost per yard?

[davidlpope]

Cost per yard would be $65.00 for the DW. So, yardage for a 8yd kilt would cost $260. Yardage for a 4yd box-pleat would cost $130.

David

[Rex_Tremende]

Wow, how beautiful! Seems that somewhere I recall seeing an explanation of the colors. Do you have that?

Regards,
Rex.

[davidlpope]

Rex,

The Carolina tartan doesn't have the typical explanation of the colors used(red is for..., blue is for...) Instead it's based on a sample of tartan connected to King Charles, who was a Stuart. Carolina is from the latin for Charles and was named after the King. I'll direct you to the best resource out there (put together by Matt Newsome) if you're interested in the whole story:

http://www.carolinatartan.com/

Cordially,
David

[Chef]

It's a great looking tartan. I might be interested depending on timing. In other words a couple of months from now, say Feb.

[Tattoo Bradley]

It's a great looking tartan. I might be interested depending on timing. In other words a couple of months from now, say Feb.

Yeah, what's the timing on this one? And, what shade is this considered? Looks to be like a muted or perhaps weathered... Gorgeous. Some of my people came over via North Carolina (surprise surprise..lol) So, I've got enough excuse. But yeah, depending on timing I might be able to jump in on this one for a 4 yard box pleat's worth.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Hi guys!

Regarding colors, this tartan was designed and originall woven by Peter MacDonald, who is also the world's formost expert on the early weaving firm Wilsons of Bannockburn, who was the first large scale supplier of tartan cloth to offer standardized colors (sometime c. 1765). So when he originally wove the Carolina tartan, he did so in Wilsons' standard colors, which don't really fall into our modern-day categroization of "modern" or "ancient" or "weathered." Here is a shot of me wearing a kilt in the Carolina tartan, as woven in these Wilson's colors:


Here is a close up of an actual peice of Peter MacDonald's hand woven cloth.


These colors would be my first choice, because:
1) they are of historic signifigance.
2) they are unusual, and if you are going to have the tartan custom done, why not get something not normally available?
3) I think they are quite attractive!

However, if the consensus is for other colors, they can be done, as well. The museum did a run of Carolina tartan a while back for a pipe band who wanted bright and vivid colors for their uniform, so the typical "modern" color scheme was more appropriate. Here is an image of myself in a kilt from this cloth:


The pipe band in question was the Cross Creek Pipes and Drums, who originally chose the Carolina tartan in the early 80s but had it woven in a very muted color scheme. Because of this, many people are used to seeing the Carolina tartan in these more muted colors. Here's a close up of that cloth:


Another pipe band that wears the Carolina tartan is the NC State Pipes and Drums (affiliated with NC State University in Raleigh). They also wear it in very muted colors, one would call it the "weathered" colors. I have a sample of their cloth in the museum but haven't gotten it scanned in yet. But you can see that version of the tartan on their web site, here:
http://www.ncsu.edu/pipesanddrums/

Of course, one could get the ancient colors, weathered, etc., whatever you wanted. But unless there was some overwhelming desire on the part of the group for one of these other color schemes, I'd give my strong reccomendation to either the traditional eighteenth/early-nineteenth century colors of Wilsons of Bannockburn, or the standard "modern" colors of today.

There is a discussion of the different color schemes and further images of the Carolina tartan here:
http://www.carolinatartan.com/colors.htm

[M. A. C. Newsome]

As David has said, the cost for the cloth would be $65 per yard, for heavy weight wool -- this cloth has a traditional kilting selvedge and is my preferred cloth for working with (and wearing!) in a kilt. If 30 yards or more are ordered, it can be woven 54" wide.

As for timing, I would have to have payment for the cloth before the order was placed with the mill. So that would be $65 times however many yards you wanted to order. So I'd just ask for people to post here in this thread how many yards they would be interested in ordering, and once the number got above 30, I'd set some time limit for other people to join in and then close the order. At that point I'd send out invoices and once payment has been made the order would be placed.

Custom runs of cloth will typically take about 12 weeks. Once the cloth is in, then anyone wishing to have a kilt made would pay the kiltmaking fee at that time (either with me, or whatever kiltmaker you would be using).

What this means, for instance, if someone were ordering a 4 yard box pleated kilt from me would be that $130 would be due when the order was placed, and $220 (plus shipping) would be due when the cloth was here and the kilt was ready to be made.

Right now lets just see how many people would be interested in paying $65 per yard for 54" wide heavy weight Carolina tartan wool.
Aye,
Matt