About Tartan
You should know a few things about the history of tartan in order to choose the scrapbooking tartan you would like to include in your project
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$4
per 11 x 11 sheet tartan background papers. [add to cart] $25 per hour for research to find clan affiliation(s) or more hard to find clan tartans or family badges/clan badges. Average research time for the above service is 30 minutes to one hour. Available
tartans include First, tartan is a unique and specific pattern of interlocking repetitive stripes of varying widths and colors, running in both the warp (horizontal) and weft (vertical) of the weave of a length of cloth. A truly modern definition includes any representation of such a woven design in other media including printed, painted, or otherwise rendered. Each distinct tartan has its own distinct sett, i.e., a pattern of blocks and lines made up of colored thread repeated both vertically and horizontally at right angles with a solid background color. The material, usually wool, itself is the plaid. In the US, the terms tartan and plaid are used interchangeably but they are different. "Plaide" is the Gaelic word for blanket and is the precursor to the modern kilt. Today people think of the kilt, the plaid and the tartan synonymous with representing Scottish clans. Some may even realize that other celtic peoples (Irish, Welsh, Manx, French Bretons, and Spanish Galicians) have adopted or conceived their own tartans in recent times. However, our celtic forefathers prior to the mid-1700s, wore whatever hand-woven locally dyed and designed tartan available to them, often more than one type at a time. Some colors, color combinations, and pattern designs may have become associated with an area in the Highlands of Scotland but it was not until the end of the 18th century that these patterns were given true clan affiliation. Sir Walter Scot and King George IV along with the weaving company of William Wilson and Sons of Bannockburn are responsible for our modern take on all things tartan. After the Jacobean uprising of the Highlanders against the Brits ended at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Act of Proscription forbid the Highlanders from wearing the plaid in an attempt to put down their revolutionary tenacity. The only Highlanders permitted to wear the tartan were the Highland Regiments in service to the British throne. Wilson and Sons were their only source of tartan. They numbered these patterns originally but eventually gave them names including clan names, place names, etc. The names were not symbolic but simply an identification method. The act being repealed in 1782 combined with Sir Walter Scott's writings in the early 1800s was responsible for a resurgence in Highlander and Scottish romanticism and interest in Scot heritage from the peoples of the Scottish Diaspora. The final solidifying factor for our modern view of tartan, was King George IVs visit to Edinburgh in 1822. The chiefs of all the clans were "invited" to welcome the king in their "proper clan tartan" after a group called the Highland Society of London had attempted to gather all the clan tartans by asking the clans to submit samples to them. Many clans had no official tartan and thus sought insight via their elders as well as the tartan weavers. Many "official" tartan were created for this special occasion. So, you see when you ask what your proper tartan is, the answer is varied. In modern times, tartans are affiliated with many things - clans/family, cities/towns, districts, countries/nationalities, businesses, individuals, military units, football, dancing, and whiskey-drinking clubs, and even events. It is the approval of the leader of the representative figure that makes a tartan an official tartan. You take on the affiliation and meaning of the tartan when you use a tartan. You are saying, I identify with and honor this clan, district, nationality, etc. You can pick whatever aspect of your heritage that you like in tartan form or even simply pick one that you find esthetically pleasing. Their are no hard and fast rules. Pick what is significant for you. As to ancient, modern, hunting, walking, dress, etc., pick the one you like. Modern tartans are dyed with a modern process that ensure the color-fastness of the dye in the wool. Ancient tartan would be what we would call the "stonewashed jeans" version of tartan. Frequently washed plant-based dyed tartan would result in these lighter colors as there were no color fastness to the dye. They have the same warp and weft just a different hue of the color. Dress tartan has a white base, i.e., one of the colors is replaced by a white base. Walking and hunting are variations with muted or greenish colors included. There are fanciful notions that walking tartans should blend with the wheat and the wildflowers of the Highlands while the hunting should blend with the forests and achieve a "camouflage" effect. As
to using heraldry with your tartan, the only heraldic device that
any person of Scottish heritage (or allegiance) may utilize is
the clansman's crest badge, commonly known as a clan badge. It
consists of the Clan Chief’s crest encircled with a belt and buckle
bearing the Chief’s motto or slogan. It signifies that you follow
the person whom the crest represents. The crest itself belongs
to the Clan Chief, and as such may not be used by anyone else
without the encircling belt. In the U.S., it is simply considered
rude to use the Chief's crest as your own but in Scotland it is
illegal. The clan badge, however, is available to anyone who wishes
to show their alliance with a clan and its Chief.
In the meantime, feel free to give us a call or email us: (352) 588-2977 (Eastern time) customorder@scrappyceltics.com
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