Making a day plaid (aka laird's plaid)

[Tobus]

When I ordered my Reproduction Colquhoun tank from Barb T. a while back, I went ahead and got extra yardage for future projects to ensure that the tartan matches exactly. This is double-width cloth, and I have 5 yards of it (plus the scraps left over from the kilt-making process). One of the projects I wanted to do was to make a day plaid or laird's plaid.

Since I know there's a lot of confusion on terminology, what I'm planning to make is shown below:

The fellow at front center:


Several examples worn by MacDonald chiefs:


On the left:


I've done several searches on this forum and found discussions about how to wear them, etc., but what I can't seem to find a decent answer on is whether there's a correct size to make them. Does it really matter? I've seen references to them being 60" long or 72" long, which seems to be a pretty significant difference. Or should I just tailor it to my height so that when folded length-wise over my shoulder and draped evenly, it falls to a specific point on my body?

As for construction, since I have double-width cloth, it should be fairly simple. Just cut it to length, fringe the ends (I will purl the fringe to about 4" lengths), and that's it. My only real dilemma is on the length to cut. Got any pointers?

[Chas]

A long time ago, I read a quote that roughly said that "the plaid should be big enough for a man and his beloved to sit comfortably and have a picnic".

You will have to carry it all day, so I would go for the biggest size that you can comfortably carry around on your shoulder for any length of time. If you work out the length/weight and carry that weight around in a pillowslip, on your shoulder for a couple of hours, you will probably get a good indication of how well it will work.

The other thing is that if it turns out to be too long it can always be shortened, but not the other way round.

Would be nice to see pictures when it is done.

Regards

Chas

[Cygnus]

I just read a section from Adam Frank's The Clans, Septs, and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands about day plaids and remember him giving dimensions. If somebody else doesn't beat me to it, I'll look it up when I get home.

[Harold Cannon]

Here you will see the description and diagrams for folding and wearing it so it can be used as a cloak if needed.

My Laird's plaids are about 5 yards long. A smaller man could get away with less. I would say 4 yards would be plenty for you.

[Tobus]

My Laird's plaids are about 5 yards long. A smaller man could get away with less. I would say 4 yards would be plenty for you.

I did a double-take when I saw that, but it might make sense. Using 4 yards and folded in half length-wise, it would be 6 feet long, which would be about 3 feet of drape in front and behind (when worn over the shoulder). I guess I'll just have to play with it and see how that looks if I unfold the length and wrap it around my chest. 12 feet seems awfully long for that, but maybe it's not.

Are those images for a full (belted) plaid, or a day plaid? Using 4 yards of double-width cloth seems like it would be enough for a belted plaid, and I was under the impression that a day plaid was much smaller... like the size of a blanket, as Chas pointed out.

[Harold Cannon]

It is for a day plaid. in the upper pictures you can see how it is unfolded off of the shoulder (while wearing it ) to make a cloak.

[creagdhubh]

On the left:

This is the late Euan Macpherson of Glentruim and I know for a fact that he wore plaids in the Macpherson 'hunting' tartan that were originally used as tartan throws and blankets, usually placed all around the interior, by his lovely wife Sandra, of Glentruim House in Inverness-shire near Laggan. His plaids were huge; typically 6-7 yards, and he had to have Sandra assist him when putting the plaid on in his characteristic style. Glentruim was quite the Highland gentleman, a staunch supporter of the "old ways" of doing things, and an active Chieftain of the Clan Macpherson (Macphersons of Invereshie). I miss him dearly.

Cheers,

[Harold Cannon]

Oddly enough if you look at the instructions the ends are reversed so that it can be used as a cloak. So the rear hanging end would actually be on top. This is not as pretty but it is more functional.

[Cygnus]

I think there is a bit of confusion here between the "day plaid" and the full plaid. The day plaid is illustrated in Tobus' first two pictures and is, essentially, a tartan blanket folded and carried over the left shoulder. The full plaid, as worn by Euan MacPherson of Glentruim, is the plaid that is four yards by one and a half and worn wrapped around the body (those are the dimensions for a full plaid given by Adam Frank, by the way).

If you'd like to make a day plaid, Chas' recommendation on size seems about right; if a full plaid, 12' x 4.5' seems to be about the norm.

[SlackerDrummer]

I think there is a bit of confusion here between the "day plaid" and the full plaid.

Same piece of cloth; different ways of wearing it.