Do Your Research (aka Buyer Beware)

[M. A. C. Newsome]

If somebody made the point before, I missed it:

With a custom weave, you can't order a swatch, which makes things even more risky.

Bingo.

I will occasionally get people asking for a sample swatch of a custom tartan before it is run. The minimum amount for a custom tartan to be woven is four yards. That's the minimum. So if you want a sample swatch, it will be four yards long. :-)

What we can do is send thread samples first, but this is not as useful as you might imagine. Unless you have a really good eye for color and some experience with how colors come together in a tartan, most people would be hard pressed to envision what a woven tartan would look like, with it's half-tones and color combinations, from looking at a few bundles of twisted thread.

[Dianne B]

Maybe a (limited) market for a hobby weaver with a tabletop loom making swatches of custom tartan??

[McClef]

Maybe a (limited) market for a hobby weaver with a tabletop loom making swatches of custom tartan??

The time it takes to set up the pattern on the loom can be little different and therefore no economies of scale can really be made. Rarer tartans are therefore inevitably more expensive.

[Dianne B]

The time it takes to set up the pattern on the loom can be little different and therefore no economies of scale can really be made. Rarer tartans are therefore inevitably more expensive.

Indeed. I have done weaving in the past, on an 8-harness 6 foot floor loom. Doing a 3x3 sett on a tabletop would be much easier and use less material.

Some weavers weave for the love of it.

[ghostlight]

I will occasionally get people asking for a sample swatch of a custom tartan before it is run. The minimum amount for a custom tartan to be woven is four yards. That's the minimum. So if you want a sample swatch, it will be four yards long. :-)

I call that convenience!

"I'll be right there, dear. I'm ordering a...SWATCH...of box-pleated tartan!"

[Dianne B]

I am rather surprised a commercial weaver would put up a warp only 4 yards long - that is A LOT of work for such a short run (presumably on a motorized loom). The time must be reflected in the cost. I could see a sample run as a precursor to a large order like a large band or a standard tartan pattern but for a short-run, the weaver is undoubtedly not covering his costs or is not very busy.

Anyway ... getting off topic here .... sorry!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I am rather surprised a commercial weaver would put up a warp only 4 yards long - that is A LOT of work for such a short run (presumably on a motorized loom). The time must be reflected in the cost. I could see a sample run as a precursor to a large order like a large band or a standard tartan pattern but for a short-run, the weaver is undoubtedly not covering his costs or is not very busy.

Anyway ... getting off topic here .... sorry!

I order cloth from four of Scotland's top tartan producers. Three of them have relatively large lists of stock tartans and will do a custom run of a non-stocked tartan for minimum lengths varying from 10 to 30 yards double width (with prices being fairly high for anything less than half a bolt, or 30 yards).

One mill, however, maintains a fairly small list of stock tartans, but will do a custom run of non-stock tartan for a minimum length of 4 yards single width, thus allowing me to order only enough tartan for a single kilt or skirt to fill an order. Yes, it is more expensive per yard than a stock tartan, but far less expensive than weaving a half a bolt of fabric when you only need enough for one kilt. Small runs of custom cloth is this particular mill's niche.

[Paul Henry]

I order cloth from four of Scotland's top tartan producers. Three of them have relatively large lists of stock tartans and will do a custom run of a non-stocked tartan for minimum lengths varying from 10 to 30 yards double width (with prices being fairly high for anything less than half a bolt, or 30 yards).

One mill, however, maintains a fairly small list of stock tartans, but will do a custom run of non-stock tartan for a minimum length of 4 yards single width, thus allowing me to order only enough tartan for a single kilt or skirt to fill an order. Yes, it is more expensive per yard than a stock tartan, but far less expensive than weaving a half a bolt of fabric when you only need enough for one kilt. Small runs of custom cloth is this particular mill's niche.

Having just received a custom woven special variation tartan from these weavers, I have to say that the quality and the feel of the cloth is lovely, and the selvedge is wonderful!Yes of course a little more expensive but they were straight forward to deal with, it's still a family concern, and I'm more than happy to put my money that way.