Sett question

**kilted firefighter** · 23rd October 15, 06:48 PM

I've searched the web every way I can think of but have come up empty. How do I find out the sett size of a tartan? Specifically Sutherland muted and clergy.

**OC Richard** · 23rd October 15, 07:03 PM

It's probably going to be different with each mill, and different with each weight of tartan within the same mill.

In general the sett size increases as the weight increases. This is probably because the lightest weight stuff is going to be used for things like neckties, the lightweight stuff for women's skirts, the heavy stuff for men's kilts, the heaviest stuff for Army kilts.

I've seen- not often- places selling tartan list the sett size of each.

An actual sample helps, but sometimes the sample doesn't show enough of the sett to clearly show the sett size.

The "eyeball test" works for me: find photos of the kilts being worn, which will clearly show if the sett size is too small or not.

It's a pet peeve of mine, men's kilts with wimpy sett sizes.

**Todd Bradshaw** · 23rd October 15, 10:42 PM

I have a gizmo like a fold-out road map that I bought almost 40 years ago called "The Official Tartan Map" that has drawings and weaver's yarn counts for 141 different tartans, and it does contain one Sutherland (looks like "modern" but most of the variations seem to be pretty similar). Plugging those numbers into the Scotweb Tartan Designer I came out with a sett size of 6.1".

They don't specify a fabric weight for the designer but for example, my own tartan was listed at 6.5" for the sett on the same design program. The heavy-weight wool versions (15-16 oz.) that we have came from Dalgliesh. Our light blue version is double-width (presumably subcontracted out, as I don't think they're weaving that width in-house at the moment). The repeat measures 6.75" on the warp direction (horizontal on a kilt) and 6.5" on the weft (vertical on a kilt). Our black heavy-weight wool version of the same tartan (single-width Dalgliesh) measures 7.25" on the warp and 6.75" on the weft. We also have some 13 oz. tartan woven with the same pattern and yarn counts from Marton Mills in their "Bute" fabric (100% wool with kilting selvedge edges) which measures a hair under 6" in both directions. So it looks like you would be reasonably close to the listed sett size, but bigger yarns for heavier cloth will make for a somewhat larger sett than lighter yarns for lighter cloth. I don't have any experience with acrylic or PV, so I don't know how they would compare. This is what the Tartan Map produced when the Sutherland numbers were plugged into the designer.

**OC Richard** · 24th October 15, 05:22 AM

To get a sense of what at 6.1" sett size looks like in a finished kilt, here's a wedding party wearing County Cavan kilts.

This fabric is probably the same House Of Edgar mediumweight that I have a sample of. The sett size is 6.25"

To me this is on the edge of looking a bit small; it looks best on the youngster in my opinion. For comparison, my Isle Of Skye has a 7.5" sett which looks "just right" to me.

Keep in mind though that I'm a big person. A 6" sett would look fine on a smaller-sized kilt I think.

**kilted firefighter** · 24th October 15, 08:19 AM

Thanks to all for the input. What I'm trying to figure is how many yards I need to make a kilt. I'm a fairly small guy (38.5 hip). Looks like with a 1 inch reveal and a 6-6.5 inch sett I'll need about 6 yards.?

**Barb T** · 24th October 15, 05:48 PM

How much you need depends on what kind of kilt you want. If you want a traditional knife-pleated kilt, you'll need more tartan than if you want a Kingussie or box-pleated kilt.

But, let's assume that you want a trad knife-pleated kilt. Your calculations assume a 1" reveal, but I find that a 1" reveal for someone your size is actually on the large side, so you really need more tartan than your calculations suggest. Yes, you could make a kilt with 6 or 7 yards and pleats with a 1" reveal, but it would look better and swing better with more. Someone with 38 1/2" hips needs roughly 8 yards for a a trad knife-pleated kilt.

But why do you want to know how much tartan you need?? If you are going to get a custom-made kilt, you definitely don't want to order your own tartan. A kiltmaker can get wholesale prices, whereas you cannot. And a kiltmaker will know how much to order. So trust your kiltmaker.

Oh - and the only way to find out the sett of a particular tartan, in a particular weight, from a particular mill is to ask them. They are happy to tell you.

**OC Richard** · 25th October 15, 06:42 PM

I was at a local Highland Outfitter yesterday (RP Blandford & Son) and I noticed that the sample book from the House Of Edgar did list the sett size of each tartan.

**MacCathmhaoil** · 25th October 15, 09:15 PM

Heed Barb's advice! For not much more than the price you'll end up paying for the fabric, you could probably get one of the excellent kilt makers on this forum to make a kilt for you. A well made kilt is not simply sewn, it is engineered.

**kilted firefighter** · 26th October 15, 03:51 AM

I wasn't looking to have a kilt made but to make my own. Point well taken on pleat size. I will recompute yardage based on other pleat widths. Thanks again for all your input. Everyone on this forum is so helpful, and even if I choose not to apply everything I learn here I am listening.
KF