Tartan of the Month - January 12: what do you see?

[figheadair]

Are we looking at the back side of the cloth (judging by the crease and the direction of the twill lines)? Assuming it was from a kilt and the pleats were knife pleated running in 'usual' manner (counterclockwise while looking down), then the hole in the cloth would be in the DEPTH of one of the pleats, not the face (reveal) of the pleat.

Is there significance to the hole? Is there a reason it's on the under side of a pleat?

Sorry... I may be adding to the list of questions, not taking away from them.

Fold or crease? Who knows? See post #13.

I don't think it's a pleat, not defined enough. As for the hole, I think it's just that - a hole. Looks like moth damaged to me.

[creagdhubh]

Lord, this was worth following just to see how sharp is our Dixiecat. She's not only a good dancer, she's a brilliant observer of detail and adept at reviewing cloth.

Does the woman have no bounds?

Quite right!

[Orvis]

I surmise that the size of the set compared to the size of the threads indicates that this is a piece of plaiding, with the yellow line as the pivot. The lack of raveling on the sides (and minimally on the top/bottom edges) suggests that the piece was fulled (or waulked). While this last process could be done in a mill, considering that this cloth was likely not woven in a mill, it suggests that this cloth was fulled at home. The clean cut lines tell me that the cloth was cut with sharp shears, likely as part of a collection (perhaps during the late 18th c., when the Highland chiefs and nobility started becoming aware that the old ways had passed and resolved to preserve old pieces of tartan). At first, I thought the sett of this piece bore a resemblance to the sett for the early drummers' plaid for the 92nd Regiment (Gordon Highlanders - raised 1790's), but it is not exactly the same (no black guard lines, for one thing). I can't make out the base color patters behind the red and yellow lines.

[figheadair]

I surmise that the size of the set compared to the size of the threads indicates that this is a piece of plaiding, with the yellow line as the pivot. The lack of raveling on the sides (and minimally on the top/bottom edges) suggests that the piece was fulled (or waulked). While this last process could be done in a mill, considering that this cloth was likely not woven in a mill, it suggests that this cloth was fulled at home. The clean cut lines tell me that the cloth was cut with sharp shears, likely as part of a collection (perhaps during the late 18th c., when the Highland chiefs and nobility started becoming aware that the old ways had passed and resolved to preserve old pieces of tartan). At first, I thought the sett of this piece bore a resemblance to the sett for the early drummers' plaid for the 92nd Regiment (Gordon Highlanders - raised 1790's), but it is not exactly the same (no black guard lines, for one thing). I can't make out the base color patters behind the red and yellow lines.

The background colours are quite distinct on my screen. If you copy into an editing programme and lighten them the sett should be quite obvious and would correct some of your deductions. Alternatively see post #3.

The observation about the cut edges and thus the eventual resting place of this piece is a logical (and good) deduction.

I very much doubt that this piece was fulled. The handle and binding of the threads indicates that it's a standard worsted piece. There are some other questions about the sett that if asked would clarify things further.

[R.S.Buff]

It looks like it has a black selvedge mark on the right side. That would be more evidence that it is from a 79th highlander kilt from the Napoleonic era(1793 to 1820). The course heavy thread, large set, and lack of silk point to a privates kilt.


Kochan and Phillips reproduced broadcloth for common soldiers coats of this time and are woven with very heavy hairs making a very thick and tough cloth. The buff wool trim of my 78th Regiment coatee use this cloth.

[figheadair]

It looks like it has a black selvedge mark on the right side. That would be more evidence that it is from a 79th highlander kilt from the Napoleonic era(1793 to 1820). The course heavy thread, large set, and lack of silk point to a privates kilt.

Oh no. Look again. You might need to lighten the image first. Also, a military selvedge mark was always a solid black whereas what this piece has red lines running close to the edge.

Even if it did have a selvedge mark that would not necessarily make the cloth from a kilt, it could equally, in fact more likely, have come from a plaid.

Silk was only used in Officers' cloth so this could equally have been Sergeant's weight material. Finally, so far as I know only Wilsons woven cloth with silk and not all the time. Interestingly, their notes in the 1819 KPB do not state that the Y should be silk but they certainly used it in this sett at times, for example the Cockburn specimen has Y silk although it's unclear whether that was civilian or military cloth.

[figheadair]

Come, come lady and gents. What haven't you asked?

[Silent Raven]

tried to lighten it up, to me it looks like its more purples ans greens instead of black?

also this is just a complete shot in the dark but is it perhaps not made of wool? but maybe goat or horse hair?? idk..

[figheadair]

tried to lighten it up, to me it looks like its more purples ans greens instead of black?

also this is just a complete shot in the dark but is it perhaps not made of wool? but maybe goat or horse hair?? idk..

TAKE COVER

The colours are definitely blue, green and black with red and yellow overstripes..

You can't spin, dye and weave either goat or horse hair to make traditional tartan. Some goat one can spin (cashmere) but horse?

[Nick the DSM]

Where is it from?