Seeking tartan design input for my "Leaf Peeper" Tartan

[Barb T]

....particularly in terms of whether you feel the colors are balanced, if you agree the potential is there for pleating to the stripe, and any other general commentary you might offer.

[EDIT: I forgot to mention, the sett size is currently 5.2"]

5.2" is a very small sett. Any particular reason why you chose such a small sett?

[unixken]

5.2" is a very small sett. Any particular reason why you chose such a small sett?

Good timing. LOL I was just in the tool now, bumping up the thread counts to scale it up a bit. I'd like to see something closer to 6.5 - 7.

[unixken]

I've scaled the sett up to 7 inches. Thread counts for the pivot and guard stripes are unchanged, but all the broader areas scaled up easily. I think the reason it was initially so small was because it was the only way to see a bit more than just one full instance of the pattern, within the small editing window of the tool. Without constantly clicking the "Enlarge" option to take a quick peek, it was easier to get a feel of what the pattern would look like beyond just a single representation of the repeat. The larger sett size should yield deeper pleats, and offer a better chance for pleating on the stripe without risking "spear points" at the fell, I believe.

[Barb T]

Yes - good! That's a better sett size.

With the larger sett size, I can't see any "red flags" from a kiltmaker's perspective. It will pleat fine to the stripe. If you want to use something like Photoshop to see if you will like the "look" of it pleated to the stripe, be sure to make the pleats "to scale" - roughly 3/4" across. Taper them a little to make sure that you like the look of the taper. See my comments toward the bottom of the first page as well as on the second page in the following post:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ou-want-65675/

[MNlad]

Personally, I love the colors in your first sample. Somewhat akin to weathered Maple Leaf, one of my favorites. Bang-up job.

[Scott R]

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I would have a difficult time choosing between your modern, hunter, and ancient tartans. To me each design represents the different colors seen throughout the fall season. Well done!

[ForresterModern]

Re: Colors

I am with Sailortats in preferring the color palette of the original Maple Leaf tartan as being more ideally representative of what one sees in peak autumn colors in a predominantly deciduous forest, and I like in that tartan how there is often a progression of colors in an order matching the progression of the change of colors in the maple leaves themselves over time. Subtle but striking in the same moment. Unless there is a significant evergreen population where you "leaf peep" (not much where I usually go here in the Appalachians and Alleghenies) I personally think there is too much green, and too rich of a green color for an autumnal sett, and not enough lighter browns.

Just one man's O, though.

[unixken]

Since a couple folks have referenced the Maple Leaf tartan, let's look at it for a moment, compared side by side with Leaf Peeper (forgive the different sett sizes. I just grabbed an image.)

Maple Leaf on the left, Leaf Peeper on the right...

MapleLeaf.jpg Leaf Peeper Modern.jpg

Perhaps it's just my own eyes, but I do see considerable green in there (certainly no less than what is present in Leaf Peeper.) The colors are, while lighter, no more brighter. There are, however, extreme examples such as this one:

mapleleaftartan.jpg

But that kind of Day-Glo eye-vibrator isn't for me. All things considered, if I wanted a Maple Leaf, I'd just buy a Maple Leaf.

Softening the palette of the Leaf Peeper by using only the 8 basic colors within the design tool, creates this, which looks too washed out for me:

Leaf Peeper Basic.jpg

Going back to the original colors for a moment, my thought is that those who want "more yellow... more yellow" should consider pleating to the stripe, like this (if you'll pardon the hurriedly prepared examples - with apologies to Barb for not taking the time to incorporate in the taper)...

Leaf Peeper Modern Gold Pleat.jpg

...versus pleating to show off the green (leaving the red and gold to flash from the reveals):

Leaf Peeper Modern Green Pleat.jpg

Interesting conversation, folks. I appreciate everyone's input as it makes me test the validity of my notions and assumptions.

[sailortats]

Ken, I know that pic you show of the Maple Leaf tartan is from the SRT. However, here is a pic of it that I think is more representative of the tartan. Not nearly as dark as the SRT photo.
Mapleleaf tartan.JPG

[unixken]

And equally, the colors look fairly pale. Now maybe that's an "Ancient" or "Weathered" variant, but it certainly doesn't suggest the vividness that was implied as necessary, or preferable, in some earlier posts. There's a difference between "light" and "bright". That I tend to prefer a gold, like the top left square below, versus the one in the center square, will have it's consequences throughout the tartan, certainly. The same is said for the red, brown, and green in the Leaf Peeper.



Let us look for a moment, at the balance of the colors in the photos below. Can we honestly say that I'm so very far off the mark? These were taken two years ago, at the height of the season (Columbus Day weekend, 2011.) The first from along the Kanc, near the hair-pin, the second along the Swift River, the third, from the base of the Cog at Mt. Washington. (Note the train car is bright yellow... the trees are gold, and there are a fair number of green conifers.)

DSCN0247.jpg DSCN0230.jpg DSCN0261.jpg

At the higher elevations, of course, everything is conifer...

IMG_0115.jpg

And a shot of North Conway from Cathedral Ledge (hazy day, so everything is washed out.)

PA100037.jpg

A shot from somewhere along either Rt 3 or 302

103_2196.jpg

This is perhaps the "brightest" shot, that was taken from my hotel room. (And note there's still a lot of green in there.)

103_2245.jpg