Time to VOTE for a NY State tartan

**Bob C** · 12th May 10, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Woodsheal

Well, that pretty much leaves you with red, purple, yellow, or black based tartans - none of which say "New York State" to me in any way....

Exactly.

**Barb T** · 13th May 10, 07:08 AM

From a kiltmaker's standpoint, the first design is a bit of a nightmare. Lots of stripes that could get lost in pleat taper and nothing that would work well for pleating to the stripe, if someone wanted that.

**Brian K** · 13th May 10, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

From a kiltmaker's standpoint, the first design is a bit of a nightmare. Lots of stripes that could get lost in pleat taper and nothing that would work well for pleating to the stripe, if someone wanted that.

Thanks for chiming in, Barb. I like the first one, but I design mainly because I enjoy it and have wondered if some of my setts wouldn't actually be impractical to use for kilt making. I can't afford a kilt at the moment, let alone custom woven cloth, and no one else has ever had any of my designs woven, so I've never seen one fashioned into a kilt.

I do hope we have success with our project and you get some customers who want you to help them outfit themselves in a tartan for our state.

I understand you're heading out for Iceland sometime soon. I hope you have a great trip.

Regards,

Brian

**beerbecue** · 20th May 10, 07:32 AM

I contacted the NY St. Andrews Society, but have not had a response.

**lethearen** · 20th May 10, 08:52 AM

Well, I'm from Texas, so I doubt I have much room to chime in on a tartan for y'all yankees

but I think C looks the cleanest. That being said, I think I actually like A the best as it's more eye-catching.

**BLHS209** · 20th May 10, 02:43 PM

There is a NY Police tartan already (didn't see it mentioned, or maybe the hair is in my eyes). Maybe use this OR "work" (change pattern but same colors) from it:

http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=3122

**OC Richard** · 20th May 10, 05:48 PM

I voted for A because I thought it had the strongest design, the best proportions, showing more or less the Golden Ratio (look it up).

The boxy 1:1 ratios shown in the others result, to my eye, in weak designs. Though in many tartans a weak design can be saved by great use of colour.

(Reducing a tartan to B&W will tell you how strong the design itself is.)

But C is also quite pleasant.

A great example of the use of proportions is a comparison of many traditional tartans to those designed by the so-called Sobieski brothers. Their efforts were nearly always boxy and inelegant.

**Brian K** · 20th May 10, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

I voted for A because I thought it had the strongest design, the best proportions, showing more or less the Golden Ratio (look it up).

The boxy 1:1 ratios shown in the others result, to my eye, in weak designs. Though in many tartans a weak design can be saved by great use of colour.

(Reducing a tartan to B&W will tell you how strong the design itself is.)

But C is also quite pleasant.

A great example of the use of proportions is a comparison of many traditional tartans to those designed by the so-called Sobieski brothers. Their efforts were nearly always boxy and inelegant.

I appreciate the compliment, Richard, I know you're particular about tartans. Unfortunately, you may also have noticed that Barbara Tewksbury has indicated that it would be a nightmare for a kilt maker. I'm pleased to have designed it, but I'd hate to be known as the guy who designed a tartan kilt makers hate so much

(Of course, I'd guess they're not too fond of one of my favorites - the Anderson tartan. I remember from another thread that you seemed not too fond of it yourself!)

Regards,

Brian

**Hothir Ethelnor** · 20th May 10, 08:13 PM

lots of small close together stripes are a nightmare as we have to deal with pleat shaping and to make nice pleats without stripes disappearing in the taper we like wider sections of solid colours surrounding thin stripes.

**thescot** · 20th May 10, 08:36 PM

I am not from NY either, so I'm not voting. But I must say that I like C the best.

But then, as O C pointed out, it's a bit boxy. (The golden ration is not called the golden ratio for nothing!) Ideally, I would like to see C with the red and yellow stripes resized so that they are not the same size. That would reduce some of the redundancy of the squares. (The red and white in a Robertson Hunting tartan demonstrate what I mean.)

That being said, I'd be proud to wear any of the three if I were from New York.

Excellent work, Brian.