Too many tartans to choose from....

**Mike_Oettle** · 1st February 15, 01:20 PM

NYClark, the Welsh have taken to kilts during the past century (one of our Welsh members might give you a more accurate period for this).
First the Irish took to wearing black kilts at the end of the 19th century, then the Welsh at some later stage, and then also the Cornish.
Tartans for these ethnic groups came later.
There are now numerous Welsh tartans to choose from – I could send you a list if you are interested.
Regards,
Mike

PS: My favourite colour is royal blue, and the Tardis is not a bad example. The tartan I designed for my family has red, yellow, white and blue, as well as a selection of background colours (light blue, white, brown and darkish red). So I think I would escape looking like a postbox or a Tardis, even though I have these colours in the setts.

**NYClark** · 3rd February 15, 12:31 PM

I will be spending my free time looking at all the suggestions. I think I will need to stick with easily available tartans/colors. I had joked about Danish tartans then found this thread... http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...37/index2.html but most of the links to Danish tartans are broken. My surname, Johnson, was chosen by my 4th great grandfather when he immigrated form Denmark. I understand that the Doyle tartan is similar to the Danish tartans mentioned in the thread above. So, something else to consider. I hope I can ignore the German ancestry where kilts are concerned. Ok, there is a German tartan. Wow. Who doesn't have a tartan?
The next question will be, is it worth the trouble of making my own kilt or not. But I'm not ready for that question yet.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.

**Pleater** · 3rd February 15, 04:35 PM

I was just doing a little work on some of my sewing projects this afternoon, a dark blue kilt is under construction and a brown kilt has been started - but there is a heap of fabric cut into pieces to make into kilts.

I did start to remove the multicolour edging on a piece of fabric which will be a long plaid - it will have a fringe along three sides. It is 4 yards by about 30 inches, but as the afternoon was chilly I stopped the picking out and wrapped it around myself to keep warm.

It is very satisfying making kilts, converting all that length of fabric into neat folds is so therapeutic.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Mike_Oettle** · 11th February 15, 01:23 PM

Actually, NYClark, there are three tartans for Devonshire (one official, two fashion) and two for Somerset (one official). There is also one called St George, which is for anyone English to wear.
I have several Danish tartans filed away on my home computer – I will have to send you a list of their names. You will find them all on http://tartanregister.gov.uk
For Germany, there is one in the flag colours, and at least one from the US called German Ancestry.
Regards,
Mike

**NYClark** · 12th February 15, 09:43 AM

Ok, too many options. I'm thinking, based on my ancestry that I should look for a US based tartan. Only my Cheshire England Great grandparents and my Baden-Wurtenberg Germany Great Great Grandparents came to the US in the 1800s. All others came earlier with most in the 1600s. So if I can find a good looking tartan that isn't too red, white, and blue (RW&B)... I found an old, '08, thread about a non-existent mayflower tartan, http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...38/index6.html. But Scotweb has one... http://www.scotweb.co.uk/tartandesign/details/71156. Very much too RW&B.

**Benning Boy** · 12th February 15, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by NYClark

Ok, too many options. I'm thinking, based on my ancestry that I should look for a US based tartan. (snip)

I once proposed this as an American tartan. I call it American Spirit.

American Spirit Tartan.jpg

There are thirten red and white strips on a national blue field. Guess where that came from. The gold stripe was meant to represent the streets-paved-with-gold optimism that brought so many here, and the great generosity our country has shown the world. I think I'd modify it slightly before having it woven -- if I were to have it woven -- by adding a second gold stripe, then having one for optimism and one for generosity, and set them on either side of a narrow black stripe to represent the many sacrifices (not just in blood) that have been made to build this great country, and the many sacrafices yet to be made. I would include the black as a concession to those who favor some representation of morbidity in their tartans, with one token American tartan being morbid as hell in my book.

There's always American Bicentennial and American St. Andrews, which I believe are actually the same tartan. As all here can attest, I'm an opinionated burro pit. I think my design is best.

**Stitchwiz** · 12th February 15, 12:17 PM

I'd love to see your modified American Spirit Tartan. It would look very different with different shades in your colour palette.

Perhaps someone who has the right program would like to play with it...

**Benning Boy** · 12th February 15, 01:47 PM

Here's a new variation done on the Scotweb tartan designer.

American Spirit revised.jpg

Don't know why in the previous post an actual photo appears, and in this one only a link appears. Sure wish someone would straighten out the pics issue.

I lost my thread count for the first version, so started over again. As you can see the proportions of color are differrent. There are, however, now two gold stripes on either side of a black stripe. In general, I like the way the colors are proportioned in the first vrsion over the second version.

The colors used are black, canary yellow, Illinois navy, scarlet and peroxide white. In the first version I used gold instead of canary yell. Neither hue quite matches what I see in my mind. If i were to get serious about having something like this woven, I'd work with pantone colors to get it absolutely correct, the national colors are specified exactly somewhere, I'd have to look it up again, and then see how close a weaver could come to matching those colors.

If I were rich, I'd have many meters of this woven in p/v. I think it would sell well, but what do I know, I don't have an MBA in marketing.

The original version wasn't all that well received, Eagle Scouts and flag fundamentalists thought it a sacrilege. Others have come up with American tartans based on colors suggested by the song America the Beautiful. I like them, but their message is somewhat hidden. My design wouldn't require much explanation when someone invariably ask what clan is that?

**Mike_Oettle** · 12th February 15, 02:47 PM

NYClark, since my German great-grandfather was also from Württemberg, perhaps I ought to have a go at designing a Württemberger tartan . . .

**Stitchwiz** · 14th February 15, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Benning Boy

Here's a new variation done on the Scotweb tartan designer.

American Spirit revised.jpg

Don't know why in the previous post an actual photo appears, and in this one only a link appears. Sure wish someone would straighten out the pics issue.

I lost my thread count for the first version, so started over again. As you can see the proportions of color are differrent. There are, however, now two gold stripes on either side of a black stripe. In general, I like the way the colors are proportioned in the first vrsion over the second version.

The colors used are black, canary yellow, Illinois navy, scarlet and peroxide white. In the first version I used gold instead of canary yell. Neither hue quite matches what I see in my mind. If i were to get serious about having something like this woven, I'd work with pantone colors to get it absolutely correct, the national colors are specified exactly somewhere, I'd have to look it up again, and then see how close a weaver could come to matching those colors.

If I were rich, I'd have many meters of this woven in p/v. I think it would sell well, but what do I know, I don't have an MBA in marketing.

The original version wasn't all that well received, Eagle Scouts and flag fundamentalists thought it a sacrilege. Others have come up with American tartans based on colors suggested by the song America the Beautiful. I like them, but their message is somewhat hidden. My design wouldn't require much explanation when someone invariably ask what clan is that?

Using the Pantone colours, you would be assured of getting exactly what you have in mind.

Now if one of us just hit the lottery jackpot...I could see bolts of this sitting on a shelf at your place...and a new kilt for everyone!...