Canadian tartans

[ccga3359]

Nice Maple Leaves gentlemen, thanks for posting.

And perhaps I don't understand what an asymmetric tartan is but, of the official tartans, only New Brunswick looks asymmetric to me?

Maple leaf is as well as Ensign of Ontario.

From The Tartan Story by Blair Urquhart:

Type
Three types of pattern are listed. Symmetrical setts contain two pivots; the points where the sequence of stripes, starting at the pivot, can be seen to be identical in four directions, North, South, East and West. The two pivots are connected along the diagonal by plain squares, each of a single colour. The full sett is the sequence of colours read from right to left, turned about the pivot, and repeated left to right. It is usually between 5 and 7 inches in width to accommodate the kilting (pleats). A symmetrical tartan can be recorded as an half sett.

Asymmetrical setts have no true pivots although appearances can be deceptive. The pattern is repeated from right to left across the width of the cloth. Manufacturers using double width looms change the direction of the pattern at the centre, where the cloth will be folded, to allow tailors to match the colours when cutting items of clothing other than kilts. Tailor's off cuts could contain some pieces easily mistaken for examples of a symmetrical form of an asymmetrical tartan. The full sett must be recorded beginning at the colour whose first letter is nearest to the beginning of the alphabet. It is also necessary to establish the front of the cloth: The side on which the individual stitches appear to make diagonal lines from bottom left to top right.

Equal check
This is the simplest form of tartan involving only two colours. The MacGregor tartan known as Rob Roy is a black and red check. The Moncreiffe tartan is red and green.

[CMcG]

Maple leaf is as well as Ensign of Ontario.

From The Tartan Story by Blair Urquhart:

Thanks for the definitions, that's very helpful

It appears, then, that Plaid du Québec and Yukon are also asymmetrical.

Is there any symbolic value to a tartan being asymmetrical or symmetrical? If so, it is interesting that the official tartans tend to be symmetrical, while the unofficial ones tend to be asymmetrical... I have a bunch of other Canadian tartans (city, university, service) that I still need post and we shall see if they follow the same pattern.

[BEEDEE]

For discussion:
- Unfortunately, not all of these tartans are readily available and custom weaves can be prohibitively expensive... who has sources for kilts in any of these tartans?

Actually, your own Fraser and Kirkbright weave most Canadian provincial tartans, although in a light weight.

http://www.wooltartan.com/tartans4.htm

Brian

[Big Mikey]

Another CCK Maple Leaf, just to show that a casual kilt CAN be dressed up. I know Glen already showed that but I want you to see mine too.

[CMcG]

Actually, your own Fraser and Kirkbright weave most Canadian provincial tartans, although in a light weight.

Oh the irony that they are weaving lightweight Canadian tartans for a country that has such a cold climate! The stock tartans they list are mostly 10 oz with only a couple (Manitoba and Yukon) being 12 oz, all in worsted Australian Merino wool. Apparently they can do heavier weight but it's a custom weave

Does anyone own a kilt in Fraser and Kirkbright's lightweight stock and, if so, how is it? I was under the impression that 16 oz is the gold standard for kilts, 13 oz is acceptable, and 10 oz was better suited to other applications?

[ForresterModern]

Nice Maple Leaves gentlemen, thanks for posting.

And perhaps I don't understand what an asymmetric tartan is but, of the official tartans, only New Brunswick looks asymmetric to me?

You are most welcome.

An asymmetric tartan is one whose sett does not invert and repeat in reverse, i.e., its sett is not symmetric. This is important because often to make a single 8 yard kilt one buys 4 yards of double width tartan, split the tartan into two identical 4 yard sections then sewn together to make the 8 yard length to work from. You cannot do this with an asymmetric tartan as when you flip the second half piece it becomes a mirror image of the first instead of a continuation of it. So you either have to buy single width asymmetric tartan or buy 8 yards of asymmetric tartansplit it in half longitudinally and use half, and find someone else to take the other mirror image half off your hands. Then each of you will have continuous 8 tard segments.

So far in this thread I have seen 4 asymmetric tartans, Maple Leaf, Yukon, Ensign of Ontario, and Plaid de Quebec. There may be more, I don't know, but that is more asymmetric tartans than I have ever seen before, ever, let alone in one thread.

jeff


Edit: Sorry, din't notice that Grant and others had beat me to it. sorry for the repeat.

[CMcG]

In addition to the official Ontario tartan I listed with the rest of the official provinces/territories tartans, here are the other Ontario tartans for reference.

Confusing, no?

Three versions of the Ensign of Ontario:

STA ref: 3140


STWR ref: 2142


STA ref: 2032


Two versions of Northern Ontario:

STA Ref 5524


STA Ref 956


Ontario Centennial

[CMcG]

<snip>
An asymmetric tartan is one whose sett does not invert and repeat in reverse, i.e., its sett is not symmetric. This is important because often to make a single 8 yard kilt one buys 4 yards of double width tartan, split the tartan into two identical 4 yard sections then sewn together to make the 8 yard length to work from. You cannot do this with an asymmetric tartan as when you flip the second half piece it becomes a mirror image of the first instead of a continuation of it. So you either have to buy single width asymmetric tartan or buy 8 yards of asymmetric tartansplit it in half longitudinally and use half, and find someone else to take the other mirror image half off your hands. Then each of you will have continuous 8 tard segments.

<snip>

Edit: Sorry, din't notice that Grant and others had beat me to it. sorry for the repeat.

The repetition was worthwhile for the nuances of how asymmetrical setts play into kilt construction, so thank you. Considering that the Maple Leaf appears to be the most common of the Canadian tartans, it being asymmetrical does not appear to have held it back!

[Lallans]

'Eastern Townships' is another Canadian regional tartan, one that I fear may be lost even though the lady who developed it had it officially registered. It is, or was, quite a lovely subdued tartan with a lot of earth colours reflecting the natural ones found in the area.

The Eastern Townships are, or were, a traditional english-speaking stronghold inside the Province of Quebec, essentially the area east of Montreal that lies along the border with Vermont and New Hampshire, geographically a northern thrust of the Appalachians that was settled by Loyalists and British imports post-1783, with a large mixture of Scots and also Ulster Scots (Scots Irish) who drifted in from the USA in that frontier-making way they had, and some of whom I have the honour to be descended from. Anyone familiar with that tartan? While it was definately woven by a Scottish mill and in some quantity back in the 1960s era, I have never ever seen it made into a kilt.

[ccga3359]

For what it's worth, at least on my monitor, STA ref: 3140 is the closest to the Ensign of Ontario that Burnetts & Struth sell, the sett is 4".