I am looking at doing some period highland attire and was wanting to know if there are alternatives to the expensive tartans produced mostly/only? by Scottish mills.
Where do upholstery and curtain fabrics fit in or the stuff some girl's uniforms are made of?
I find the the technical side of tartans confusing so I'm not sure what fabric is period or terms like worsted. Any advice would be appreciated.

Also, does anyone do diced tartan as in the red and white checks because it only seems to come in knitted form?