Tartan weaver, SO EXCITED to be here!!

**Debbonnaire** · 7th May 20, 01:22 PM

I can't believe I had never heard of you! If you can believe it, I ran across you because of a query I made regarding The Blood is Strong documentary. First of all, I LOVE THE NAME!! It's so perfect, with the Saltire as the X.

About me: I grew up all over the US, but mostly in the western side of Washington State. There are a lot of Scots there, and I used to hear bagpipes and see kilts on a fairly regular basis. I always loved them, but had NO idea I had any Scots in me. (Little did I know nobody likes the pipes but those with true Scottish blood, LOL!) When I was 40, my husband and I stumbled across a Clan Gathering, and there I saw a tent with a big banner that said Montgomery. With my mouth open, I ran over there and said, "I'm a Montgomery!" And I was in. I had never known my name was a clan.

Now I'm a member of Clan Montgomery Society International, have been to Eglinton Castle (what's left of it,

) and to Nova Scotia's Colaisde na Gàidhlig--(I now have about six words of Gaelic, LOL)--and best of all, as a hand spinner and hand weaver, I went to John C Campbell Folk School and took tartan weaving from Marge Warren. Now, that's most of what I weave.

This week I am completing the yardage for a Montgomery kilt for my nephew; hoping to make the kilt next week. Next, I have 18 place mats to make in Young tartan for a customer, and I've also begun a truly exciting journey of making a feileadh mor from the ground up. That is, I'll be starting with raw wool, (Shetland, if I can get enough--does anybody have a source?) washing, picking, carding, spinning, dyeing with plants from my garden (as much as possible) and weaving a Great Kilt, also Montgomery, for the same nephew.

If you carefully copy my first name with all its weird spelling into Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Patreon, you can see the progress as I occasionally share photos. (Debbonnaire is also my website's url, since it's unique in the world, so far as I've been able to discover.) Maybe I'll share progress here, too.

Again, I'm so happy to be here!!
Debbonnaire

**Father Bill** · 7th May 20, 02:41 PM

Welcome to the "Great Rabble"!

**Liam** · 7th May 20, 02:54 PM

Welcome from Western Canada!

**EagleJCS** · 7th May 20, 04:23 PM

Welcome to XMarks, from just up the road a piece in Louisville!

**Blaidd** · 8th May 20, 02:08 AM

Croeso from a cilt wearing Welshman. Enjoy and I look forward to seeing your progress.

**Stoff** · 8th May 20, 06:28 AM

Welcome form coastal North Carolina.

Stoff

**Pleater** · 10th May 20, 06:21 PM

You just reminded me that I have not made enquiries about fleeces here in the UK - not that I need any more yarn, but there is something about taking a fleece and ending up with a useful item which is very satisfying, I find.
I live on the South coast of England within sight of the sea - at least, from the back bedroom window I can see Poole Harbour and the Purbecks beyond.
My father's family were linen weavers, on hand looms, going back in the generations - but they were also agitators for a living wage, got themselves blacklisted, so a daughter went into cotton weaving and a granddaughter was a cotton weaver in a factory.
I do have a small simple loom, but I got a knitting machine back in the early 1970s and did a lot with that - like paying the mortgage, then went into teaching and then servicing, out of self defence when trying to get something working well enough to use again.
These days, being unable to go out playing music dancing and singing, I have been occupying myself with various crafts, trying to keep busy.
I do envy you having a proper loom - I have been tempted, but can't really justify the expense nor the space, however I look forward to reading more of your projects and progress in future.

Anne the Pleater