Enlarged Sett

[creagdhubh]

Greetings,

So, I am thinking of having my newest kilt made from tartan with an enlarged sett. The kilt will be in the Chattan tartan (heavyweight), done in the Wilson's of Bannockburn colour scheme from D.C. Dalgliesh. I realise that the Chattan tartan already has a fairly large sett, yet I am curious how far I can "push the envelope," so to speak, without creating problematic areas in regards to the pleating and overall aesthetic of the kilt. My good friend and fellow Macpherson cousin, Bruce Macpherson of London, has a very old kilt done in the Chattan tartan with a slightly larger sett than what is more commonly woven today, and I have always loved the way it looks. I have also always been rather fond of the larger setts featured throughout the detailed watercolour plates in Kenneth MacLeay's, The Highlanders of Scotland.

I know that some of you have unique experience in this matter, since I recall seeing various photos on the forum of kilts made with an enlarged sett (David Pope's beautiful, MacMillan kilt in Wilson's colours immediately comes to mind), not to mention the expertise of our resident tartan scholars and kiltmakers!

Here are my questions/concerns:

1) The Chattan tartan already has a fairly large sett, yet how far can I go with enlarging it further without causing any pleating issues?

2) Thinking of the Chattan tartan and a full 8-yards of it in the kilt, what style of pleating would be ideal with an enlarged sett?

3) I definitely want the tartan to come from D.C. Dalgliesh, therefore will I need to request a special weave/run due to the desired colour scheme and the enlarged sett?

Bruce Macpherson of London


Chattan sett in the modern (standard) colour scheme from D.C. Dalgliesh


Kindest regards,