Wildcat Tartan - second run

**figheadair** · 25th July 15, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by H. Hastings

Thanks you. I know they did the first weaving but I just heard their double width looms were down and they weren't weaving any double width material.

That is my understanding too. Double width cloth is being contracted out and has a tuck finish, hence the lower price.

**HarveyH** · 26th July 15, 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by H. Hastings

Does anyone know who the weaver is for this run?

I saw the answers given and thought - why has no one asked Paul Henry, given that he is organising the second run. So I spoke to Paul and can confirm:
1. DC Dalgeish can't weave it as they no longer have the ability to weave double width cloth with a traditional selvedge and are outsourcing all such weaving.
2. Andrew Elliot Ltd will be weaving the cloth because they do still weave double width cloth with a traditional selvedge, in house, in Selkirk.

**figheadair** · 26th July 15, 03:25 AM

Another tickmin the box for Robin.

**tundramanq** · 26th July 15, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by HarveyH

I saw the answers given and thought - why has no one asked Paul Henry, given that he is organising the second run. So I spoke to Paul and can confirm:
1. DC Dalgeish can't weave it as they no longer have the ability to weave double width cloth with a traditional selvedge and are outsourcing all such weaving.
2. Andrew Elliot Ltd will be weaving the cloth because they do still weave double width cloth with a traditional selvedge, in house, in Selkirk.

Having bought in for 8 meters, my pucker string got real tight. I had to look up Andrew Elliot Ltd. It appears the quality of their product is significantly better than Dalgeish. Whew. Sweat pumps back to slow speed.

**unixken** · 27th July 15, 04:31 AM

Originally Posted by tundramanq

Having bought in for 8 meters, my pucker string got real tight. I had to look up Andrew Elliot Ltd. It appears the quality of their product is significantly better than Dalgeish. Whew. Sweat pumps back to slow speed.

It would be interesting to know how some people define "significantly better", given the high quality fabrics that Dalgleish have historically produced (I have 3 Dalgleish kilts, plus fabric for a fourth.) That said, although I don't own anything woven by the folks at Elliot, I have consistently heard good things about their quality. I'd just be curious to hear from folks who own fabric from both mills, in what ways is one fabric "significantly better" than the other?

**tundramanq** · 27th July 15, 05:44 AM

Originally Posted by unixken

It would be interesting to know how some people define "significantly better", given the high quality fabrics that Dalgleish have historically produced (I have 3 Dalgleish kilts, plus fabric for a fourth.) That said, although I don't own anything woven by the folks at Elliot, I have consistently heard good things about their quality. I'd just be curious to hear from folks who own fabric from both mills, in what ways is one fabric "significantly better" than the other?

My interest was assured that the quality of this run will be to up to the same standards set by the old Dalgleish reputation.
I think I got it. I read several strings here from an Andrew Elliot Ltd search.
This may not be your answer but Dalgleish explains lot of the issues it is dealing with under the new management and expansion:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-fabric-86464/

I think there are only these two mills with DW traditional selvage looms. Dalgleish's loom is out of commission at present.
As to highly durable selvages I think traditional shuttle looms are the king. I am not crazy about any of my hemmed kilts -they just don't act right nor keep the pleats as well as selvage hems.

Nick has a hard job running at a profit while hiring, training and inspiring the people with skills and dedication to perfection of the new and the old products. The loom itself is the easiest to manage - it dose not get bored nor have bad days. The dedicated craftsmen that make the yarn, run and maintain the looms and the finishing people are what made the old D.C. Dalgleish reputation. Nick's trick will be in improving the business's bottom line without losing the dedicated people that handled the product and it's parts all along the way. With my perfectionist mind set, I would go crazy in his situation of balancing both without compromising either. But others and I think ( correctly) that I am already there.

**Alan H** · 27th July 15, 02:00 PM

I'd prefer for this thread to not turn into yet another "what's Dalgliesh up to?" thread. If folks want to start another one of those, great....just not here.

I'm glad that Andrew Elliott has the order for the second run. I initially contacted them for Run #1, but in the early days of this project I was keen to move things along quickly. It took me several months to realize that "quickly" meant many months, not weeks. I eliminated Andrew Elliott early, because e-mail correspondance was not "speedy". That might have been a mistake.

In retrospect, the correspondence was quite in keeping with the rest of the industry, and I am keen to support some smaller weaving houses. So I am glad that they've got the contract.