X Marks the Scot redux

[M. A. C. Newsome]

So, a client from this forum wanted an X Marks the Scot tartan kilt, but didn't want to wait for another large group order. Who can blame him?

So he commissioned me to do a custom run of the tartan for his kilt in 16 oz wool. When I did so, I decided (with his approval) to have it woven according to the original specs of the tartan as I designed it. See, when Gordon Kirkbright had it woven at F&K, he changed a few things (with my permission), making the tartan darker, and changing the proportions somewhat.

This is the first time, to my knowledge, that the X Marks tartan has been woven according to the original design specs. I quite like the results! It does look much more like the tartan in the background of this page than what's been woven in the past, I think.

The kilt hasn't been made it -- it's still a good ways down my queue. But the cloth did just recently come in, and I thought I'd give a sneak preview. Here it is:


And here is a side-by-side comparison with the Fraser & Kirkbright cloth:

[McMurdo]

Very nice Matt, I'm sure your customer will love it.

[Panache]

Taht's really interesting Matt. It makes the original runs of the XMTS tartan look like a "weathered" tartan and the one you just recieved a "modern". Or perhaps with the lighter colors it is more like an "ancient".

Cheers

Jamie

[DTrain]

A nice looking tartan, to be sure. I am jealous. So, was this custom run just enough for one kilt? Are there plans to issue another run of XMarks tartan? I believe there are a number of clansmen (and clans-women) who would be interested. Or just a hopeless teaser?

[Panache]

A nice looking tartan, to be sure. I am jealous. So, was this custom run just enough for one kilt? Are there plans to issue another run of XMarks tartan? I believe there are a number of clansmen (and clans-women) who would be interested. Or just a hopeless teaser?

Rest assured another run of XMTS tartan is in the works. Steve just put a lot of energy into designing and getting a cap badge produced. If we give him a bit of a breather we might see XMTS shirts and another run of XMTS tartan in the near furure.

Cheers

Jamie

[M. A. C. Newsome]

A nice looking tartan, to be sure. I am jealous. So, was this custom run just enough for one kilt? Are there plans to issue another run of XMarks tartan? I believe there are a number of clansmen (and clans-women) who would be interested. Or just a hopeless teaser?

Yes, this was just a single kilt-length I had woven, which is always an option for anyone who wants a kilt but doesn't want to wait for another large group order to be put together.

[sharpdressedscot]

That looks good, I like both tartans but I think the lighter one looks more appealing for me.

[Panache]

To be clear here, the tartan that you see on the background of this forum is the official "X Marks the Scot" tartan. There have so far been three runs of it.

Matt as the designer of that tartan has made a variant of the XMTS tartan for his customer.

Cheers

Jamie

[Marshal Moroni]

Two more to add to the ever growing, never shrinking wish list.....

So many tartans, so little money.

Marshal Moroni

[M. A. C. Newsome]

To be clear here, the tartan that you see on the background of this forum is the official "X Marks the Scot" tartan. There have so far been three runs of it.

Matt as the designer of that tartan has made a variant of the XMTS tartan for his customer.

Cheers

Jamie

Actually, Jamie, when Gordon Fraser at F&K was preparing the first run of the X Marks tartan, he sent me images of a sample wrapping of the tartan for me to ok, because he had taken some "artistic licencse" with it and wanted to make sure it was fine with me. For example, he darkened the blues -- both shades. He used two shades of yellow mixed together to give the yellow line a bit of a marled look. I think he also altered the proportions slightly. To me, none of his suggested changes were anything major enough that they would constitute a new or different tartan. Just variations on the design, which I thought looked nice, so I told him I had no problem with them.

When I did this most recent single kilt length run for my client, I used the exact thread count that I originally designed the tartan with, and sent the mill the same color image of the tartan as is used in the background of this site.

So, in reality, it is the larger runs that have been variants of the tartan, and what I just had produced is the "original" -- if you want to be technical about it.

Someone I think suggested these look like "modern" and "ancient" variations, and I think that would be fair to say.