Tartan being designed--your opinon please

**Detroitpete** · 27th March 09, 05:59 AM

Hey all!

I've been fiddling with a tartan design program on the Scotweb site and have come up with some beggining patterns. Let me know what you think. I'll try to post the pictures here correctly:

**Barb T** · 27th March 09, 06:27 AM

Just a couple of "kiltmaker thoughts". If you are considering pleating to the stripe, and you have a particular stripe in mind, make sure that it is the right width for pleating to the stripe. Your design 1 will pleat well to the white stripe, but probably not to the purple stripe, because the green looks like it will be too narrow to make up the whole rest of the pleat (i.e., part of the pleat will have to extend into the adjacent light color at the hips and will likely be lost as the pleat tapers toward the top of the kilt). See this thread for an illustration of the potential problem:

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

You might also run into a similar problem if you wanted to pleat the second design to the greenish yellow stripe.

As you're designing, figure that pleats will be 3/4-7/8" across at the hips and, depending upon your waist/hip differential, may taper significantly toward the top of the kilt. To get a rough idea, divide your waist size in half, and divide that by 27 (a typical # of pleats in a kilt).

**Colonel MacNeal** · 27th March 09, 06:48 AM

I'm working on one I call "Glencoe Massacre" - it's working title was "Bloody C@mpbell". After it's registered, I'll post the link.

OK C@mpbells - don't go and get bent out of shape!

**macwilkin** · 27th March 09, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by Colonel MacNeal

I'm working on one I call "Glencoe Massacre" - it's working title was "Bloody C@mpbell". After it's registered, I'll post the link.

OK C@mpbells - don't go and get bent out of shape!

Repeat after me: "The Campbells, as a clan, were not responsible for Glencoe."

To be correct, you should call it "Bloody Dalrymple".

Regards,

Todd

**Detroitpete** · 27th March 09, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

Just a couple of "kiltmaker thoughts". If you are considering pleating to the stripe, and you have a particular stripe in mind, make sure that it is the right width for pleating to the stripe. Your design 1 will pleat well to the white stripe, but probably not to the purple stripe, because the green looks like it will be too narrow to make up the whole rest of the pleat (i.e., part of the pleat will have to extend into the adjacent light color at the hips and will likely be lost as the pleat tapers toward the top of the kilt). See this thread for an illustration of the potential problem:

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

You might also run into a similar problem if you wanted to pleat the second design to the greenish yellow stripe.

As you're designing, figure that pleats will be 3/4-7/8" across at the hips and, depending upon your waist/hip differential, may taper significantly toward the top of the kilt. To get a rough idea, divide your waist size in half, and divide that by 27 (a typical # of pleats in a kilt).

Great advice Barb! Thanks!

**Kilted-Keith** · 27th March 09, 11:17 AM

The Top one with the white stripe is excellent, the second one seems to be a bit bland.

When I am looking at a tartan, it is both the colors and the history of the design or story behind the colors that makes it appealing.

Is there a reason or story behind the colors?

**Kilted-Keith** · 27th March 09, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Colonel MacNeal

I'm working on one I call "Glencoe Massacre" - it's working title was "Bloody C@mpbell". After it's registered, I'll post the link.

OK C@mpbells - don't go and get bent out of shape!

This is an interesting idea but I am not sure who would wear it. I don't think the Campbell clan would and I am fairly sure that the MacDonalds would not.

I don't think I would want to explain to The Campbell or MacDonald Clan Chief or any of their clan members what it was.

I guess the big question would be why a design based on that event? Who would be honored?

**Detroitpete** · 27th March 09, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Kilted-Keith

The Top one with the white stripe is excellent, the second one seems to be a bit bland.

When I am looking at a tartan, it is both the colors and the history of the design or story behind the colors that makes it appealing.

Is there a reason or story behind the colors?

Bland is right--it was an attempt to see how I could get a muted appearance with the color choices I had on the software. You'll notice the first one has a few extra colors missing in the second.

This is an attempt at a tartan in honor of my grand father and as a surname tartan. My grand father was a fairly accomplished amature historian and I wanted to choose colors that spoke to the stories he knew of our family's past.

The blue and grey are because we were a divided family during the US Civil war with members fighting on both sides. The green is to reflect our homelands of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Scandinavia and later, Virginia and West Virginia. The white line is to represent all in our family who committed to public service as lawyers, judges, council members, clergy etc. The red line is to represent that each generation in my family has had men and women who served in the armed services. Finally, the purple/lavendar line is a remembrance of my grand father's wife. My grand mother loved lavendar and would plant it where ever she lived. She would dry the flowers and place the bundles throughout her houses. The color and scent remind my family of her.

**ForresterModern** · 27th March 09, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by cajunscot

Repeat after me: "The Campbells, as a clan, were not responsible for Glencoe."

To be correct, you should call it "Bloody Dalrymple".

Regards,

Todd

Actually, maybe "Bloody William and Mary", becasue the original idea to use military force on one or more of the rebellious highland clans (to make them an example of what happens to those who don't swear fealty to the crown) was actually their decree and the action condoned by them even afterwards, although history seems to have let them off (pardon the pun) Scot free.

jeff

**ronstew** · 27th March 09, 01:02 PM

I like the top one a lot. I would wear it, and I think it would look fine on a lady. Spring/summer colours.

If you are trying to reflect the north/south schism, though, I think you should select a darker blue. But if you are placing more importance on appearance than on symbolism, I think what you have is good.