Buchanan Tartan and pleats

[room2ndfloor]

...... As a Buchanan I wear the Buchanan Tartan in both the modern and ancient. Unlike most tartans, Buchanan is 'asymmetrical' or 'non-mirrored' and does not reverse the sequence at the pivot points but simply repeats the sett in the same sequence.

Does this limit the ways that it can be pleated or create considerations unlike that of the more common repeat? I confess that I think I have only seen Buchanan in knife pleats to the sett.

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The textile term for what you are calling "asymmetrical" is "unbalanced plaid".

http://www.sewing.org/files/guidelin...ing_plaids.pdf

Kilt-making, in general, minimizes the balanced/unbalanced problem by using the long grain of the fabric around the circumference of the body, with the selvedge at the knee. That changes the manner in which the repeats present from the usual way of cutting garments with the long grain of fabric aligning with the vertical of the body.

The repeats in the Buchanan occur on the long grain of the fabric. That will be pleat-to-pleat-to-pleat as the kilt is made. If you want box pleats instead of knife pleats, you have to choose which intersection you want for the center, then measure.

As the other poster said, this is what is done with all tartans.

Now, maybe it is us Buchanans ourselves who are more complicated.

[ctbuchanan]

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The textile term for what you are calling "asymmetrical" is "unbalanced plaid".

Now, maybe it is us Buchanans ourselves who are more complicated.

Thanks for the explanation. And I would say "unbalanced" is a perfect description of many of my Buchanan brethren