Busy Tartan

**Tim Little** · 19th January 10, 02:14 PM

From the Register:

STA ref: 1973
STWR ref: 1973
Designer: MacDonald, Flora
Tartan date: 01/01/2002
Registration date: This tartan was recorded prior to the launch of The Scottish Register of Tartans.
Category: Portrait/Artefact

Restrictions:

Registration notes: Not known if this is a Fashion tartan or a Clan/Family. Scottish Tartans Society records say that it was designed by a (not THE) Flora MacDonald and the proportions are 'to sample' which suggests that they had a woven sample in their possession.

**figheadair** · 20th January 10, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Tim Little

From the Register:

Look back at my earlier post on this and the connection with Wilsons of Bannockburns' Flora MacDonald sett. There are Wilsons' samples so named in the West Highland Museum (Ft Wm) and the STS collection. In view of this the 1792 date and the statement that it was designed by a (not The) Flora MacDonald are hard to reconcile. The simple fact is the more complex (error?) Pr Ed Isle setting seems to be the result of misinformation/misinterpretation of the Wilsons' sett which itself dates to c1800.

**Semiomniscient** · 19th January 10, 02:20 PM

Most tartan is "busy" by most people's definition. If you like tartan, this is a handsome one I think. Particularly if you like MacDonald, Cameron of Erracht, and other such tartans with the multiple red stripes. I would recommend a pleat to stripe--but I always recommend that as I think it simply looks much better. Which stripe you pleat to depends upon what you think looks best. You can work with your kilt maker on it or just trust your kilt maker if you know them (I just trusted mine and was glad for it.)

**creagdhubh** · 30th March 10, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by Semiomniscient

Most tartan is "busy" by most people's definition. If you like tartan, this is a handsome one I think. Particularly if you like MacDonald, Cameron of Erracht, and other such tartans with the multiple red stripes. I would recommend a pleat to stripe--but I always recommend that as I think it simply looks much better. Which stripe you pleat to depends upon what you think looks best. You can work with your kilt maker on it or just trust your kilt maker if you know them (I just trusted mine and was glad for it.)

EXAMPLE: "Ogilvie of Airlie" is a rather "busy" tartan I suppose, yet it is still a very unique and handsome sett.

**Jdot84** · 19th January 10, 05:17 PM

Yes! definetly! Set to blue with the red flashing. I think it would be incredible!

**Fit2BKilted** · 21st January 10, 09:03 AM

Is it possible that it may have been designed by Flora MacDonald, MP of Canadian Parliament? I think it's a long-shot, since she was born in Nova Scotia; but, stranger things have happened.

**figheadair** · 26th March 10, 03:33 AM

Originally Posted by Fit2BKilted

Is it possible that it may have been designed by Flora MacDonald, MP of Canadian Parliament? I think it's a long-shot, since she was born in Nova Scotia; but, stranger things have happened.

Absolutely not. This tartan can be dated accurately to c1790-1820

**OC Richard** · 26th March 10, 04:40 AM

I think it looks busy here because of the bright acidic colours of this computer-generated graphic. The blue and green and red are all equally "saturated" and assault the eye.

I think it could certainly be woven in colours so as to produce a lovely effect.

For example, imagine the blue being darker and the green being a bit lighter.

Here's the so-called Black Watch tartan, likewise with a blue/green ground, but woven with the green considerably lighter than the blue, so that they blue and green aren't fighting equally for our eye's attention:

If you did that, and also chose just the right red/claret, you would have a lovely tartan that wouldn't look "busy".

**creagdhubh** · 30th March 10, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

I think it looks busy here because of the bright acidic colours of this computer-generated graphic. The blue and green and red are all equally "saturated" and assault the eye.

I think it could certainly be woven in colours so as to produce a lovely effect.

For example, imagine the blue being darker and the green being a bit lighter.

Here's the so-called Black Watch tartan, likewise with a blue/green ground, but woven with the green considerably lighter than the blue, so that they blue and green aren't fighting equally for our eye's attention:

If you did that, and also chose just the right red/claret, you would have a lovely tartan that wouldn't look "busy".

I concur-exactly Richard!

**figheadair** · 30th March 10, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by KenB

I am wondering if the MacDonald of Prince Edward Island tartan is "too busy" . And should I have a kilt made in this tartan , what difficulties will a kiltmaker have in working with this particular tartan? Any thoughts?

Ken,

There's not really any such thing as the Macdonald of PEI. See - www.scottishtartans.co.uk/pei_wilsons_plaid.htm for details of the original piece.