Need some Tartan advice

[starbkjrus]

Gentlemen and Ladies,

I"m still rather new here and only have three kilts (all casuals or modern however you want to put it) and am very happy with them. I had decided that a wool tartan would have to wait for now BUT I found that the state I was born and raised in actually has it's own tartan. I REALLY like this tartan (even though blue is not my best color) and am wondering where in the world I could actually lay my hands on this cloth. I'm sure that the tartan of the state of South Carolina is probably not the hottest thing going for kilt makers (I'm a Stewart and can't even begin to decide among the various bright and er....loud tartans that are available to that side of my family) but don't know where to start looking for my "state" (district?) tartan to have something made.

Does anyone know where I might find this fabric? Do I need to commission a run at Locharron to weave it up? That could be rather expensive.

Any ideas or advice would be very appreciated.

Take a look, I think this is pretty nice: http://www.tartans.scotland.net/tart...tartan_id=6001

Thanks,

[Barb T]

Matt Newsome (Scottish Tartans Museum) is right next door in North Carolina and probably knows. Failing that, you should try the nearest St. Andrews Society. At least here in the NE, St. Andrews Societies in the various states sell the state tartan as yardage.

A quick Google search shows two St. Andrews Societies in SC:

SOUTH CAROLINA

St. Andrew Society of Aiken Inc.
Bruce Francis, President
P.O. Box 3475
Aiken, SC 29802
carolinacelts@gforcecable.com
www.standrewssocietyofaiken.org

The St. Andrew’s Society of Upper South Carolina
Phillip A. Kilgore, President
P.O. Box 5221
Greenville, SC 29606
Phone: 864-271-1300
Fax: 864-235-4754
phillip.kilgore@odnss.com



Cheers!

Barb

[Bill]

Hello Dee:

Your right that is a handsome tartan. May I suggest that you obtain a swatch before you invest in a kilt made from it as monitors do not always depict colors as they really are.
I've read somewhere that there are somewhere in the nieghborhood of 69 tartans available for the Stewart Clan. One of my kilts is in the Black Stewart tartan which is quite good looking. Try www.tartansbyair.com and look up the tartan by name(#1073 is the one I have).

Hope this is helpful

Bill

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Just a few notes about the tartans for both NC and SC....

Both states have affocially adopted tartans. In fct, both states have passed legislation adopting the same tartan -- Carolina. The Carolina tartan was designed in 1981 by tartan expert Peter MacDonald of Crieff, Scotland. It was adopted by NC in 1991, and by SC in 2002. So this tartan is the official one for both states.

What about the "North Carolina" and the "South Carolina" tartan, then? They were both designed by a man named David McGill, who owns a business called International Tartans. He designs and promotes tartan, mostly for districts. A few of his tartans, I beleive, may have been given official recognition, but the bulk of them can only be considered fashion tartans. That means that they have no official recognition from whatever body they are named for.

He designed the NC tartan in 2002, at the request of a private individual living in NC, who for reasons unknown did not like the official Carolina tartan. He designed the SC tartan in 2003, at the request of a lady from SC who had heard about his NC tartan. I don't know if she even knew about the Carolina tartan. Neither tartan has ever received any official approval by either state. They are both properly considered fashion tartans. It would be better to call them "a tartan named for South Carolina" rather than "the South Carolina tartan," since SC already has an official tartan.

The Carolina tartan is sold in the gift shop of the NC Museum in Raleigh, as well as the SC Museum in Columbia. You can read a bit more about the controversy here:
http://www.district-tartans.com/
(Click on "News" and find the article on the Carolina tartan).

If anyone wants more details you can PM me.

In any case, if you want to wear the official tartan of the state of SC, you should wear the Carolina tartan. I have some double width yardage of it in cotton on hand at the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop for $24.95 per yard. Woolen cloth is available in signle width, heavy weight cloth for $65 per yard, minimum order of 4 yards.

If you want to wear the South Carolina tartan, as designed by David McGill, that's fine so long as you realize it is not the official state tartan. That cloth (as well as the North Carolina tartan he designed) is available from Bonbright woolens. You can do a Google search to find their web site, I'm sure they have one.

And let me know if you have any more questions!
Aye,
Matt

[starbkjrus]

Wow, ask and ye shall receive. Thanks all for the info, and Matt I may be in touch in the next week or so about that fabric.

Bill,

I like that tartan better than most of the Stewart ones. I might actually be able to wear that one. I think most of my problem comes from the fact that I was at University in the early 80's at the height of the Preppy explosion. All those girls in kilt skirts, dresses and jumpers ALL in the brightest Stewart tartans possible. Of course I was wearing madras pants so bright should not really concern me now should it?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Dee,

If you are a Stewart also, you may be interested to know that the Carolina tartan (the official one) was based off of a version of the Stewart tartan. It is very close in sett to the Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan.

Aye,
Matt

[kiltedpride]

Hello Dee:

Your right that is a handsome tartan. May I suggest that you obtain a swatch before you invest in a kilt made from it as monitors do not always depict colors as they really are.

Bill

I agree, I would exercise caution - this tartan might look a little garish in the light of day. It seems a little like the tartans used by highland dancers which sort of resemble the pattern of a table cloth. Whilst this might suit a day out for a faire it might look a little odd for a formal evening activity. Given that there are thousands of tartans to chose from I'd resist the temptation to be forced to go down the District route unless the pattern is truely to your liking. Now here's an idea: Try inventing a distant Scottish granny and go for her Clan tartan -I hope you don't think I am peaching heresay but in Scotland many of us often just buy a tartan for a kilt because we just love the pattern of the tartan. I have 14 kilts and if i just stuck to my Clan tartan I would have been limited to 3 or 4 a the most (modern, ancient, weathered etc). There are ssome really beautiful tartans out there and it fun to explore the variety that exists. Good hunting my friend.
Jamie
P.S.
I just acquired yesterday a new kilt in Highland Granite which is usual - see picture posted by one of this site's members that gives an idea of the pattern http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/btewksbu/H.jpg

[starbkjrus]

Jamie,

I have actually decided that that tartan is not the one I want. It turns out that is not an official district tartan at all. I have just ordered a kilt made by Matt Newsome in the real Carolina district tartan. Not only is it the official tartan of my birthplace but it is based on Charles II's wedding tartan (I'm a Stewart).

The wool is a custom weave so I suspect it's going to take awhile. Matt thinks it will take 8-12 weeks to get the cloth and then the kilt will still have to be made but when it does get here I think I can safely say I'll have a very nice kilt.

[kiltedpride]

Dee - whew - I am relieved. I think you have made a good choice. Well done. With kilt buying patience is a virtue but it pays dividends in the long run.
Best wishes
Jamie