Twill vs. Tabby

[ChattanCat]

A twill is woven over two weft yarns and then under one weft yarn.
A Tabby is woven over one weft and under one weft yarn.

So, can you mix a twill kilt with a tabby plaid?

Wallace

[ThreadBbdr]

Purely from a weaving point of view, the two won't have the same hand at all. The twill will drape much better. The larger the threads the more noticible the twill line in the kilt will be. In a plain (tabby) weave, the contrast between the 'marled' areas where two colors cross and the 'solid' areas where a color crosses itself will look different than they do in the twill. That's due to the way that the eye precieves color - the over one floats give an effect like a pointilist painting, while the twill floats over two (or more, depending on what type of twill you are weaving) register more like a painter's brush strokes.

That being said, with the right fabrics, I don't think it will be noticible to the average person at all.

[ChattanCat]

That being said, with the right fabrics, I don't think it will be noticible to the average person at all.

Ok, so it could go either way?

[Barb T]

I think the only way to tell would be to put them together and see. What's the problem that you're trying to solve? The only plain weave tartan that I know of is either silk or very light weight (8 oz). I would think that the sett size alone would be so different that they would look odd together. But, you wouldn't know for sure, I think, until you tried it.

[ChattanCat]

I think the only way to tell would be to put them together and see. What's the problem that you're trying to solve? The only plain weave tartan that I know of is either silk or very light weight (8 oz). I would think that the sett size alone would be so different that they would look odd together. But, you wouldn't know for sure, I think, until you tried it.

Barb,
I put the kilt and the fabric next to each. I didn't even bother to take a picture because they are the too dissimilar. The tabby is a smaller sett and is a light weight material. The colors arn't the same either. Oh well, does anybody have a yard of MacPherson Hunting Ancient?
Wallace

[ChattanCat]

I think the only way to tell would be to put them together and see. What's the problem that you're trying to solve? The only plain weave tartan that I know of is either silk or very light weight (8 oz). I would think that the sett size alone would be so different that they would look odd together. But, you wouldn't know for sure, I think, until you tried it.

Barb,
The plain weave is the same tartan pattern but you are right, it is a light weight material. The sett is smaller and the colors arn't the same. So, does anyone have a yard of MacPhearson Hunting Ancient?

[Barb T]

Bummer. Is it out of the question to order a chunk of tartan for the plaid to match the kilt?