Looking for opinions.

[BrianHK]

Very impressive. I particularly like the first one.

Thank you, sir!

[Steve Ashton]

May I ask if you have measured this design to be able to produce a pleasing kilt from the fabric? While some designs look pleasing on-line, the Sett size and color composition may not appear as you originally intended once the fabric is woven and pleated.

And have you carefully read the terms and conditions from the ScotWeb site? In particular

"...By saving and/or publishing a new tartan design using this system, you are granting Scotweb Marketing Ltd an exclusive right to weave, license, or otherwise use your design commercially. ..."
and
"...Unless and until you commission its production as woven fabric or in similar physical form, you waive all legal rights over any design you create in our systems. Only when you commission its production as physical weaving or other production does it become your copyright design,..."
and
"...if you publish your design in our Gallery, even once you have commissioned the physical production of a tartan design and thereby established your copyright, by saving and/or publishing a new tartan design using this system, you are deemed to be putting it into the public domain,..."

This is not in any to discourage you from designing your own Tartans. It is just a cautionary note to read the terms and conditions carefully, and know understand and agree to them, when you use any service.

[BrianHK]

I appreciate your questions and concerns, Steve.

First, the two setts are 6.5” and 6.7”, which are within the normal 5 to 7 inch sett size considered good for weaving, from what I have read.

On the question of who owns the rights to tartans designed on the Scotweb designer, Matt Newsome raised this issue during my abortive attempt to design a tartan for the State of New York from a few years ago. (A search should turn up the thread.) After Matt mentioned this I contacted Nick at Scotweb by email (he and I emailed each other quite a bit for awhile - I think he indulged me a bit because I was designing several setts a day for a time), and he responded that he would be happy to waive any rights for the project. While I no longer have access to that email, it seems to me that he indicated that he was not particularly interested in enforcing his rights in every case, so it might not be a big deal to begin with.

To be honest, if Scotweb were to be convinced one of my designs was so appealing as to be worth producing on spec in order to sell, I might be more flattered than upset. In any event, I have designed so many setts I would have many to choose from if I were ever in a position to have one woven then turned into a kilt (preferably by Barbara Tewksbury).

[Taskr]

I like them.

Might we get the name and narratives for them (motivation, colours choices, etc)

[BrianHK]

I like them.

Might we get the name and narratives for them (motivation, colours choices, etc)

Hmm...I did not design these for any particular person (unlike the others I shared that were tributes to my Dad) or family. I mostly design tartans for their own sake. I see tartan as an art form in and of itself. I suppose these setts would be called “fashion” tartans at this point, but there would be nothing to prevent them from being registered as name, family, or clan tartans should the right people demonstrate an interest in them.

I call the first sett “Kachina” because after I completed it it reminded me of the Kachina dolls collected by an art teacher friend who had worked as a missionary in the desert southwest. I had chosen to work with six colors, and you’ll notice only the black is used for more than one stripe. I sometimes choose six colors and try to use each just once, sometimes it works and sometimes the sett needs a bit of massaging.

The second is named “Pine Grosbeak for Amble.” Again I chose six colors I thought might work well together and had at it. Originally the magenta was a more usual purple, but it just didn’t “pop” so I changed it. Also, the gold detailing between the green and the magenta was a serendipitous choice, also a fortuitous one, because I think it pulled everything together. Another designer, a better one, I feel, thought the same, and she decided the name, because she said it reminded her of a “bird about to take flight; perhaps a pine grosbeak or a purple finch.

I designed these setts early in 2010, and I doubt I’ve done anything better since.