Im having some trouble.

[Phogfan86]

Same goes with the Irish County tartans as well (and a handful of Irish Family Name tartans)... But that's for another thread.

Point of clarification: you mean that Irish County tartans are recent inventions? Just making sure I'm following here.

[Morris at Heathfield]

I don't see anything wrong with the Edwards tartan, except for the lack of price competition. The Welsh National would probably be more widely available, however. There's also a MacEdward tartan, but no doubt that would be a custom weave. I only mention it because I have Edward ancestors—from Cortachy in Scotland. Nothing to do with the Welsh Edwardses, really, but it's another option.

A great kilt would require a length of double-width fabric.† Unfortunately, if you want a tartan that isn't very common, you would have to get a custom weave, and most weavers require you to buy a lot of fabric (like 30 yards) if you want a custom run of double-width fabric. For custom runs of single-width fabric they usually require less, like 4 or 8 yards.

So, uh, which is more important? The particular tartan, or the great kilt?

Point of clarification: you mean that Irish County tartans are recent inventions? Just making sure I'm following here.

The Irish County tartans were designed by Polly Wittering for the House of Edgar in the 1990s. Then there's the Irish County Crest tartans, which were designed even more recently by Viking Technology, Ltd.

† If you're ambitious enough, however, you might try doing what they did back in the 17th and 18th centuries, which was sew two lengths of single-width fabric together. I don't recall having heard of anyone doing that nowadays, though.

[RockyR]

[OFF TOPIC]

Point of clarification: you mean that Irish County tartans are recent inventions? Just making sure I'm following here.

Correct. As stated above, Polly Wittering disigned the Irish County Tartans (and the Irish National tartan) in 1995 and have them produced by the House of Edgar. In 2004, Viking Technology (AKA Gaelic Themes, who are very nice people and a sponsor up here BTW) designed the County Crest tartans (as well as the Ireland's National, Irish American and Wild Geese tartan) and have them produced by Marton Mills.

None of these tartans are officially 'adopted' (or are even being considered) by any of the counties or by any governing body in Ireland to the best of my knowledge. If Matt or any other scholar has any proof otherwise, I bow to their expertise as they know much more than me.

[BACK ON TOPIC]