tartan weaver

**Paul Henry** · 27th July 09, 08:16 AM

There are many of here with access to tartan weavers, and yes I suppose you could call us middlemen, but I would just make a little point that many of us don't make much out of supplying tartan, I know I don't, but offer it as a starting point for other things, e.g. kiltmaking.... and sometimes it takes many calls/letters/emails to ensure that everything is correct/ so sometimes that effort or experience is worth paying a little for.....

**Fit2BKilted** · 2nd August 09, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by paulhenry

There are many of here with access to tartan weavers, and yes I suppose you could call us middlemen, but I would just make a little point that many of us don't make much out of supplying tartan, I know I don't, but offer it as a starting point for other things, e.g. kiltmaking.... and sometimes it takes many calls/letters/emails to ensure that everything is correct/ so sometimes that effort or experience is worth paying a little for.....

Then I suppose the real question I should be asking of all of you who regularly deal with the mills, then, is: What kind of mark-up do you have in mind? Would you do it for a flat-rate, or based on the amount of fabric ordered; and, what would it be?

**piperdbh** · 3rd August 09, 08:03 PM

If you want a small sample piece woven to see if you really like it, I'd suggest contacting your local yarn shop or arts council/guild. They'll know a hand weaver who would probably be willing to weave a sample for you. If tartan is like other creative endeavors, it probably looks different "in the flesh" from the way it looks on your computer screen.

**Barb T** · 4th August 09, 07:05 AM

Some mills do not deal with retail customers and do not supply wholesale outside "the trade" (any more than the average person can call up Ford and get a car at wholesale prices). I don't know what Dalgliesh's policy is, because most of the people I know who order from them are kiltmakers. But, they are a pretty small operation, and they might sell to you. I don't know that for sure, though.

I do know that they are on summer holiday from July 24-August 10, so you may well have emailed them while they were closed. And it sometimes takes them a bit to reply to emails anyway (and sometimes some prompting as well). But they are well worth the persistence.

Different people mark tartan up differently. I tend not to mark tartan up much if I am also making a kilt for someone. If I'm just ordering tartan for someone else to make the kilt, it's different.

And I agree that having someone familiar with ordering custom weaves is worth paying for. Dalgliesh has several different weights and finishes of tartan, and which you choose will have a big impact on what the tartan is like. And, because they wholesale tartan, they expect to deal with experienced people who know exactly what to ask for. If you don't know what to ask for, you might very well not get what you want, because they aren't set up for hand-holding and customer service in the way that a retail store is. Furthermore, if it's a brand new tartan, it takes a lot of going back and forth to make sure that you get what you are expecting. Ask Steve - he just designed a tartan, was actually in Scotland at the mill and handling threads of different colors, and the finished tartan is still not quite what he was looking for. And he knew all the right questions to ask. So, I'd put this in the hands of someone with experience.

And remember that finished tartan rarely looks like it does in a design program on a screen.

Oh - and one more thing. I will second what Steve says about flying your design by a kiltmaker. It's quite easy to design a tartan that will be a nightmare to pleat well. This is particularly a problem if you are dead set on having your new tartan pleated to the stripe (military pleated). If you want some advice on whether your new design will pleat well, you can either post the design or PM me, and I'll offer some advice. Here's the main issue:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/p...454/index.html

AND - moderators - why is this thread in contemporary/non-traditional kilts? Should it be moved to tartan/heraldry or DIY?

**Paul Henry** · 6th August 09, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by piperdbh

If you want a small sample piece woven to see if you really like it, I'd suggest contacting your local yarn shop or arts council/guild. They'll know a hand weaver who would probably be willing to weave a sample for you. If tartan is like other creative endeavors, it probably looks different "in the flesh" from the way it looks on your computer screen.

Although this seems like a good idea, it really isn't!
There are so many variables. thread size, thread weight, dye variation of each colour, the size of the sett, depending on the weaver. It would of course give you an idea of the general look of the fabric, but it is very unlikely to be the same as a finished kilt length from the actual weaver.