Attention all Kiltmakers, does anyone have good photos of this specific tartan?

**Barb T** · 21st April 10, 01:25 PM

When you measured the sett size, what did you get?

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 21st April 10, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisRossKin

Oh before I forget, would a gentleman where velvet in a jacket or would this not be appropriate with a kilt?
Thanks
Chris

Velvet is very traditional in a formal Highland jacket, though if you are interested in discussing this question further you may want to start a new thread (so it doesn't get lost in this one).

We recently added several colors of velvet to our line of kilt jackets at the museum's gift shop.

Donald Trump Jr. appeared in NYC for Tartan Day in a black velvet Regulation Doublet. Velvet is a good choice for Sheriffmuir doublets and Montrose doublets, as well.

**Hothir Ethelnor** · 21st April 10, 01:44 PM

Well I think Barb was saying that if you don't have the fabric and want to know the exact sett size you could call Lochcarron. I don't believe you need to contact them if you already have the fabric in your possession.

What I usually do is lay out the fabric and mark my apron. I then make a generous apron edge pleat and find a stripe I like. I then count out the same stripe down the fabric to see how many pleats I can have with that particular stripe (making sure I leave enough fabric for the underapron and reverse pleat.) If the number of pleats is less than my Hip/pleat measurement I try to find a series of stripes to pleat to.

I find that the best sett size is within 6-9 inches. if your Ross tartan is 16 inches you can halve it by pleating to one of the red stripes in the green or by pleating to the red stripe in the blue. be aware though that if you pleat to the blue every other pleat will be deeper or shallower. (not noticeable from the outside.)

**ChrisRossKin** · 21st April 10, 04:14 PM

Thanks everyone for the replies to my questions.
Barbara, 16 inches is what the measurement is. Hothir's
photo he sent me the other day is real similar but I noticed my
fabric has two sets of the thin green over check stripe.
I quess just a different version.
Matthew, I will check out the jackets on your site.
Hothir, thanks for your response about the stripe.
Like the idea of the red in the blue showing, then
the bright red will open slightly when walking.

Chris

**Barb T** · 22nd April 10, 05:54 AM

Yeh, and after I offered to check with Lochcarron, I realized that you, of course, have the fabric, so you can measure it yourself. Boneheaded comment on my part! I did ask Lochcarron, and their rep gave me a number that doesn't make sense (20 cm, which is just under 8"). So they must have measured it wrong. That's the danger of measuring sett size on a small swatch of tartan......

**ChrisRossKin** · 22nd April 10, 04:49 PM

That's o.k. Barbara
I feel like a bonehead to keep asking so much!
You are right about the 20 cm? When I go by the arrows
you put under to the photo, the measurement seems to be
the 16 inches I mentioned before. In the photo you put the arrows under,
what gets a little confusing to me is knowing when the sett is actually repeating. By this I mean there are the thin overcheck stripes of two sets of three blue, then the green, then another two sets of blue. After that there's the two smaller green stripes, then the bigger ones, and again two more of the green thin ones. At the next two blue stripes is where the sett must end?
I am again looking at the bottom arrow.
I wish I could find someone who has made this in a kilt and see if they would know.
The people I know have not yet responded.
Your book has so much to help me and it's so good to have the forum
here to communicate with you.
I am almost sure the set is 16 because the check I mentioned above.
Hopefully I'll get it figured out soon.
Chris

**Barb T** · 22nd April 10, 05:01 PM

I think YOU are right. I think that the person at Lochcarron just measured what LOOKED the the sett on a small piece of tartan. I'm absolutely sure that the sett is actually 40 cm, but that the piece they had to measure from just showed half the sett.

I agree with you - the sett is about 16". The sett can't be as small as 20 cm (8").

**ChrisRossKin** · 22nd April 10, 05:28 PM

Thanks again!!!!!
I will just go with that.
We'll let you see the final product later on.
Chris

**Brian K** · 22nd April 10, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

I think YOU are right. I think that the person at Lochcarron just measured what LOOKED the the sett on a small piece of tartan. I'm absolutely sure that the sett is actually 40 cm, but that the piece they had to measure from just showed half the sett.

I agree with you - the sett is about 16". The sett can't be as small as 20 cm (8").

Barb,

Is it possible that, while someone from Lochcarron should know better, they were in a hurry and measured the thread count instead of taking a repeat into account? It would be a very basic mistake, but possible nonetheless.

Regards,

Brian

**Barb T** · 23rd April 10, 04:14 PM

It is such an easy mistake to make if you have a regular size swatch of tartan. I suspect that what happened is that someone might have been in a hurry and had a typical 10" swatch and didn't realize that they were dealing with a tartan with a huge sett that wouldn't be obvious in a normal-size swatch. I have made that mistake myself. Years ago, I bought some tartan to make a kilt for myself, and I ordered a swatch from Lochcarron, and everything. I didn't realize until I actually had the tartan in hand that the full sett was actually 17" (!!!yikes) instead of 8.5" So, it's a VERY easy mistake to make.