MacDonald of Glenaladale - reweave of the original setting

**figheadair** · 7th April 15, 09:22 AM

I'm planning a short run of MacDonald of Glenaladale to match the original setting from the plaid said to have been worn at Culloden. A kilt for my son for his wedding and possibly one for me too. I like the idea of pleating to stripe on the blue pivot with fine pale blue guards.

If anyone else is interested PM me.

**figheadair** · 8th April 15, 09:57 AM

And a re-write of my paper on the original plaid.

**figheadair** · 9th July 15, 11:21 PM

The shades matched, the yarn arrived yesterday and plans are in place to set up my loom in about a month and weave it during the local Arts Festival. Lots of interest from the Press over here in the whole story.

This will be the first time that it will have been woven correctly since c1740-45.

**Orvis** · 10th July 15, 04:59 AM

Originally Posted by figheadair

The shades matched, the yarn arrived yesterday and plans are in place to set up my loom in about a month and weave it during the local Arts Festival. Lots of interest from the Press over here in the whole story.

This will be the first time that it will have been woven correctly since c1740-45.

Peter - Looks like a fascinating project and the culmination of decades of scholarship by you! I wish you best of luck with the re-weave and perhaps some photos of the finished product! I realize this cloth will be used for kilts for you and your son, but how will you treat the cloth when the re-weave is complete? "In the grease"? Or washed and finished as a "soft" tartan?

**figheadair** · 10th July 15, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Orvis

Peter - Looks like a fascinating project and the culmination of decades of scholarship by you! I wish you best of luck with the re-weave and perhaps some photos of the finished product! I realize this cloth will be used for kilts for you and your son, but how will you treat the cloth when the re-weave is complete? "In the grease"? Or washed and finished as a "soft" tartan?

Thanks Gerry. Clan Donald is blessed with a number of 18th century tartans, most of them unknown or incorrectly woven today, this one included. It's taken a while to settle on which one to weave but the story behind this sett has always drawn me and the fact that my boy loves red settled it. I have never washed a piece of cloth in my life. That's the benefit of a good worsted yarn, the cloth is made in the weaving. All I will do is give it a light steam press and then off the the kilt maker.

Not sure who's going to make my son's kilt, it will probably be 6-7 yd knife pleat. For mine on the other hand I'm working out who to get to copy a 5yd box-knife I have which was made by Bob Martin. No-one I know of over here is interested or capable in the challenge. Sad, but they seem to be stuck in the 'a kilt has 8 yds mindser'.

**Domehead** · 10th July 15, 05:25 PM

Mr. MacDonald,
Thank you yet again for the scholarship and the interesting project. There is a "MacDonald" who attends Nathan's Tartan Tuesday who sports the contemporary setting of this tartan & I dig it. Might I request, considering the press interest, when your project is completed and coverage has peaked, could you post links to articles detailing it? This, so that I might read / download them for my own edifice.

Thanks again and looking forward to completion.
Ryan M Liddell

**figheadair** · 10th July 15, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by Domehead

Mr. MacDonald,
Thank you yet again for the scholarship and the interesting project. There is a "MacDonald" who attends Nathan's Tartan Tuesday who sports the contemporary setting of this tartan & I dig it. Might I request, considering the press interest, when your project is completed and coverage has peaked, could you post links to articles detailing it? This, so that I might read / download them for my own edifice.

Thanks again and looking forward to completion.
Ryan M Liddell

Ryan, absolutely. Hopefully there will be some filming too.

**HarveyH** · 11th July 15, 01:17 AM

[QUOTE=figheadair;Not sure who's going to make my son's kilt, it will probably be 6-7 yd knife pleat. For mine on the other hand I'm working out who to get to copy a 5yd box-knife I have which was made by Bob Martin. No-one I know of over here is interested or capable in the challenge. Sad, but they seem to be stuck in the 'a kilt has 8 yds mindser'.[/QUOTE]

surprised by the 5yd comment - Paul Henry is making me a five yard (well 6 with my waist!) in a Shepherd/Northumberland twill woven specially with undyed British wool - the choice of length in this case arising from the woollen rather than worsted yarn. But I know Paul has just made a five yard box-pleat kilt as it was on the table when I was there.

When you say a 'knife-box pleat' is that what I might think of as a military box? The sort of folded over pleat?

**figheadair** · 11th July 15, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by HarveyH

surprised by the 5yd comment - Paul Henry is making me a five yard (well 6 with my waist!) in a Shepherd/Northumberland twill woven specially with undyed British wool - the choice of length in this case arising from the woollen rather than worsted yarn. But I know Paul has just made a five yard box-pleat kilt as it was on the table when I was there.

When you say a 'knife-box pleat' is that what I might think of as a military box? The sort of folded over pleat?

I've not had any dealings with Paul although am aware of his reputation. The style I want is very early (c1830), I'll need to contact him an see what he thinks. Yes, the box-knife pleat is what is commonly known as a military box.

**figheadair** · 18th July 15, 12:01 AM

For those that are technically minded, or those that just have an interest, here's my calculation to fit the sett to my loom.

The original sett size was very big and I've decided to reduce it to about 12 inches, still a good size. I've also decided to finish the cloth in a more traditional manner with a herringbone blue selvedge mark which means that the warp has to be offset.