A new USA tartan.

[Sir Didymous]

As the sudden number of posts from me may indicate, I've fallen into some much needed free time. In that time I've been shopping around for a new Highland kit (internet window shopping, that is). I've also been playing around with the Scotweb tartan designer. A while back there was a thread that brought up an interesting question. Why do almost all of the USA related tartans have to have a red/white/blue color theme? Please don't take me wrong, I am proud of my country and hold the flag thereof with high esteem as a symbol of the founding ideals and unity. But, why is that the only set of colors that can be used to represent this great nation? Even the beautiful tartans designed by Rocky at USA Kilts maintain this theme. I would be proud to ware most any of them, but in all truth, they likely wouldn't be my first pick.

That being said, I have set to work on trying to come up with a tartan celebrating the beauty of this nation without leaning too heavily on the common color schemes. I was going through hymns in preparation for a Sunday service when I was hit by a moment of inspiration. I ran across the hymn "O Beautiful for Spacious Skies". Regardless of one's religious views, I feel that this song's lyrics paint a truly inspiring picture.

Here are the lyrics to compare to the attached image:
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain;
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self control,
Thy liberty in law.

[Dughlas mor]

Sir D, you`ve done an inspired job there. I like that tartan!

[McMurdo]

I thought of the same song for inspiration when I designed this tartan


I do like what you have and it just goes to show how 2 people using the same source for inspiration will come up with something different. Well done.

[Tim Little]

Very nicely done, both of you!

[Jim Simmons]

What Tim said !! I like them both too - very classy.

[Mike_Oettle]

Speaking as a non-American, I must say that I find McMurdo’s design superior.
But as a foreigner I feel you fellows must sort out your national tartan(s) by yourselves.
Regards,
Mike