Hand Woven Tartan Fabric

[Katia]

Awesome! I haven't even the the energy to *warp* a large loom. Some beautiful fabric you've done.

[Wareyin]

Impressive work! Sadly, it seems most hobbies/personal endeavors cost more to make oneself than to purchase. My wife was quite unhappy with me for buying leather, tools, and equipment to make a sporran strap when I could have bought one for half that cost that probably would have looked better. But there is something to be said for that feeling of "I made this myself".

[figheadair]

Very nicely done. Good to see others keeping the tradition alive.

[sydnie7]

Very impressive amount of work and a lovely result!

[Pleater]

I keep costs down by acquiring odds and ends of yarn - though I became so well stocked that I doubt I will work my way through all the things I have.
I know I have some linen yarns, and silk, lambswool, cashmere - if the moths have not got it, wool, cotton - and loads of man made fibres. I used to dye a lot of yarns to get the colours I needed - and I also put in a lot of work to create unique yarns by twisting together singles to make finished yarns.
I have used hand spindles for the twisting - though I do have one mounted on an electric motor.

The only looms I have are toy ones, limited in the width and length of cloth they can produce, and only plain weaving too, but they are very satisfying to use.

When I was doing weaving quite regularly I used to have a set of double threads fixed onto the feeder bar, so to set it up for a project I just twisted the new warp through the loops and pulled it back though the loom, no threading through little slots. I don't know if that would help with threading up a more complex loom, but it certainly saved me time with the toy ones.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Rick Y]

Most impressive!

[JohntheBiker]

A very impressive undertaking! Congratulations.

[McMurdo]

I am so very impressed that a design I came up with (with help from all of you) has inspired this what an honour to be a small part of the process. Well done sir well done indeed. I really look forward to seeing the kilt you make from your fabric and trust me when we do have a Wildcat tartan meet up you will be invited and may be one of the very special guests. I am simply gobsmacked.

[roy croft]

Hello,

First of all, your fabric looks great! I know the energy you had to put into weaving that, but you can be really proud of your work.

I've designed a tartan and I want to weave a sample of it myself before registering it, and I'm having a heck of a time finding yarn to use to weave it. I'm looking for 2/16 worsted wool, undyed would be fine, as I can hand dye the relatively small amount I need for the sample. You mentioned you found two sources of suitable yarn for your project. Would you mind sharing those sources? I would really appreciate it - the loom is ready to go but there is no yarn to warp on.

Slàinte!

[usonian]

Congratulations and well done indeed! I have been wanting to weave a kilt length of fabric since I took my first weaving elective in college years and years ago... I acquired a very nice loom several years ago and have done a bit of tartan (in the form of scarves) but haven't committed the time or resources necessary to make a kilt length happen; as you so aptly summarized, it's not something to undertake for the sake of saving money (or making money, although I think kilt enthusiasts are probably one of the rare exceptions to the rule when it comes to understanding and being willing to pay the price for a beautifully hand-made length of cloth.) I have some scarves on my loom right now in a heavier worsted wool that I will try to sell if I ever finish them (need to re-beam my warp, and I have too many other projects in the pipeline!) but even charging adequately for my time and materials, I know won't realize much of a profit from them. It's definitely more about the enjoyment and sense of fulfillment from the process. There is nothing like watching tartan emerge on a loom.

Thank you for the inspiration! You've gotten me thinking about revisiting my plans to design and register a regional family tartan (the next town over from me is a bit of an ancestral seat, my forebears having moved there 250+ years ago) and make myself a kilt. Maybe a box pleat to start with. Can I ask where you got your yarn?

(Oh, and if you have the hand/eye coordination to beam and sley a project of that size, I think you could easily handle making a kilt. Barb and Elsie's book is really excellent.)