I'm starting to get caught up after a weekend away at the Stone Mountain Highland Games, helping the Scottish Tartans Museum at our sales tent raise some much needed funds. We had a successful weekend - they say weather is 90% of the success of these kinds of festivals, and I don't think you could have asked for better weather. The temps were pleasantly cool in the mornings and pleasantly warm in the afternoons, with sunny skies all day. Saturday was a bit windy, but Sunday was pretty calm.

I missed the X Marks photo op at the Lamont tent, as I was pretty much chained to the STM tent on Saturday. I did get a pic of myself with some friends:


From L to R is myself, Jamie Mungall, Pam Brownlee, and Tom Mungall. I'm wearing my own New House Highland tartan, with a new (to me) hair sporran I picked up off of ebay a few months back. It's vintage, though I am not certain how old (not very). I got lots of compliments on it, mainly due to the slightly variegated color of the hair, and the fact that it has a brown leather cantle rather than the metal normally seen on hair sporrans. I'm also in diced hose by the House of Cheviot, and a Harris Tweed sherrifmuir and waistcoat, which also garnered lots of compliments. I'm wearing a bonnet hand knit and felted by my friend Ryan Ross, and a new silk cream colored Highland cravat.

Jamie is wearing a Louisiana tartan kilt I made for him. It's a 5 yard Kingussie style pleat. Tom's in his ancient Campbell, which is a 6 yard box pleated kilt. My kilt is also a 6 yard box pleated kilt. Interesting that none of us are wearing the typical 8 yard knife pleated variety.

(I'm not sure what kind of strange post-modern kilt Pam is sporting there, but I couldn't seem to figure out the pleating system).

I want to also share this photo with you from Sunday:


The gentleman on the far left is Andrew Dauphine. He was married on Oct. 15 at the Stone Mountain Highland Games some years back. A few years later, he lost his wife to cancer on Oct. 16. This year, the Stone Mountain Highland Games were on Oct. 15 and 16, and so it was going to be a very special celebration and remembrance for his family. On Saturday of the games he wanted to wear the kilt he was married in (which was unfortunately about 9" too small). It is the ancient Hunter tartan, made by Geoffrey (Tailor). He sent the kilt to me, and I completely took it apart and rebuilt it for him. I wish I had a photo from Saturday, but it fit him like a glove and he was very pleased.

On Sunday, he and many of his family members wore all new kilts, skirts, shawls, sashes, etc., in a tartan he designed in honor of his late wife, the Cahaba Memorial tartan (his wife's name). That is what you see them wearing in the photo. I did not make the kilts myself, largely due to lack of time (I was busy rebuilding his Hunter kilt). But he had the fabric woven and all the kilts and other items made through the Scottish Tartans Museum. We used another kiltmaker we work with to do all the work, and she was truly honored to be involved in the project. The timing was just right as they received all the items the week before the Games.

The family was so pleased they presented me with a certificate of appreciation and a sample of the tartan, for my involvement in making it all happen. It was a touching moment!

I wore my St. Ninian tartan kilt on Sunday, with a Harris tweed jacket, badger fur sporran, and my shepherd's plaid (which is half-hidden in the photo, and looks a bit messy anyway). I'm also wearing a brand new tattersal shirt I just received the week before the Games.

It got a bit warm on Sunday afternoon so much of that came off. Here is a photo my wife took later in the day, showing off my new shirt fairly well.


Another:

(Notice my Chi-Rho tyger forge buckle - very appropriate I thought for a Sunday in the St. Ninian tartan!)

I ordered my shirt through http://www.shirtsyourway.org and it arrived just before the Games. Some of my tattersal shirts are getting a bit thread bare, and I needed a replacement. This company offers complete custom tailoring, and through a special arrangement with them, if you order via the above web site, the proceeds go to the museum! Bonus! I have to say this is the first shirt I have worn that was actually tailor made to my measurements, and it fit me like a glove - strike that, like a shirt! It was very comfortable, looked great, and I will definitely be ordering more down the road.

My tie, FYI, is the club tie of the St. Andrews Society of Columbia (SC), which I received from them after giving a talk at one of their gatherings.

Lastly, late in the day on Saturday I ran across this guy:


I had never seen anything like this! He was wearing a skin tight, head to toe body suit in the St. Andrew's cross! He looked like some kind of action figure! He was having a blast and obviously enjoying the attention. He said the company that makes these suits has a whole range of national flags. The suits also include a mask for the head, but he was told by the Games staff that he could not walk around the event with the mask on, for security reasons. He put it on for a photo, though.


I'm not really sure what the purpose of these suits are, other than for getting attention -- but it was certainly fulfilling that purpose!

Anyone else at the games, please share what photos you have!