creating your own tartan

**phil h** · 13th March 04, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Erudite

OK, 1 kilt @ 8 yards, + 134 unused yards of fabric, or potentially 16 more 8 yard kilts @ 20 USD yard = $160 material + labor/ per additional kilt.

So one could design one's own pattern for a rugby team or a celtic association for example. Or perhaps a limited edition tartan.

Would any kilt makers care to comment how this compares to the market price of the material they use?

Where did you get that quote? I'm curious about the price break points / production time.

Thanks!

got it from TFCK
http://www.geoffreykilts.co.uk/uploa...age=2100002142
emailed them , and they sent me this info in an attatched document.

**phil h** · 13th March 04, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Dakotan

Well call me crazy (many already do), but by Erudite's figures that doesn't seem too awfully bad. If one had a real interest in doing this and was in the financial position, that actually sounds quite reasonable for having one's own tartan kilt, and enough material to make a ton of others.
Interesting....

- Dakotan

I agree, IF(big if) I had the money I'd do it.
nearly did, but then had to go back to England last year.
would be better for a club etc.
the local highland games did it.
highland games of durham, here in Ontario.
nice one too.

**caig** · 14th March 04, 04:00 AM

My family (Caig) is a sept of Clan Farquharson and we wished to have our own tartan a few years ago. We decided to modify the Farquharson tartan and have it woven. We had this done free of charge by Lochcarron Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. They have a computer system which does this remarkably quickly. The only cost would have been buying the tartan which they had woven for us, and that would be about £1,000.00 for 30 yards. We did not proceed !

**caig** · 14th March 04, 04:01 AM

Oops, I forgot !

The website is lochcarron.com

**al' Sporrano** · 14th March 04, 05:00 AM

Originally Posted by acaig

My family (Caig) is a sept of Clan Farquharson and we wished to have our own tartan a few years ago. We decided to modify the Farquharson tartan and have it woven. We had this done free of charge by Lochcarron Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. They have a computer system which does this remarkably quickly. The only cost would have been buying the tartan which they had woven for us, and that would be about £1,000.00 for 30 yards. We did not proceed !

Hi Alan

If you have the right motive, I don't think £1000 for 30yds of tartan cloth is that bad really. You couldn't expect a weaver to weave just 8 yds for one kilt.

If you're planning a kilted wedding or part of a corporate venture, football team or even a Scottish Country Dancing demonstration team, investing in your own tartan would be a great idea.

Al

BTW I'm now registered with MSN Messenger if you ever fancy a chat sometime.

**Rob** · 14th March 04, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by al'

You couldn't expect a weaver to weave just 8 yds for one kilt.

Oh yes you could Al! When making a kilt in one of the less easily obtainable tartans, my kiltmaker often obtains her cloth from a weaver, who is quite willing to weave an 8 yard length. You may think that the price would be high, but you would be wrong. My kilt was made from a specially woven 8 yard length of cloth in 15oz wool. The quality is excellent and the kilt cost me £295.

I know someone who had a kilt made by the same kiltmaker, in the same tartan, and wore it to a branch of Hector Russell, in order to buy some accessory. He was asked what the tartan was (as it was not one of the well known ones), and after examining the kilt, they declared that it was of excellent quality.

So it is possible to have an 8 yard length of tartan cloth woven at a reasonable price.

Rob

**Chance** · 14th March 04, 09:58 AM

Who is your kiltmaker and do you happen to have any contact information for the weaver?

I would love to get a custom tartan kilt done but found the "minimum order" cost to be the biggest drawback.

**Rob** · 14th March 04, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Chance

Who is your kiltmaker and do you happen to have any contact information for the weaver?

I would love to get a custom tartan kilt done but found the "minimum order" cost to be the biggest drawback.

Chance,

I am afraid I don't have any contact information for the weaver, but the kiltmaker was McCalman Kilts:-

http://www.mccalman-kilts.co.uk/

However, a word of caution. The tartan for my kilt wasn't a custom tartan. It was just a rare (but registered) tartan, which was not in the catalogues of the larger weavers, so I don't know if this particular weaver would be able to weave a custom design.

The point I was trying to make to Al was that small quantities do not automatically mean high prices.

Rob

**al' Sporrano** · 14th March 04, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Rob

Originally Posted by al'

You couldn't expect a weaver to weave just 8 yds for one kilt.

Oh yes you could Al! When making a kilt in one of the less easily obtainable tartans, my kiltmaker often obtains her cloth from a weaver, who is quite willing to weave an 8 yard length. You may think that the price would be high, but you would be wrong. My kilt was made from a specially woven 8 yard length of cloth in 15oz wool. The quality is excellent and the kilt cost me £295.

I know someone who had a kilt made by the same kiltmaker, in the same tartan, and wore it to a branch of Hector Russell, in order to buy some accessory. He was asked what the tartan was (as it was not one of the well known ones), and after examining the kilt, they declared that it was of excellent quality.

So it is possible to have an 8 yard length of tartan cloth woven at a reasonable price.

Rob

Well, there you go.

Al