how do you know if it is asymmetrical?

**Tartan Tess** · 18th October 10, 03:34 PM

OK. i have about 10 tank kilts under my belt now. I don't have a problem with making them, but I am overwhelmed with the tartan choices and don't want to waste a dime on extra material or come up short.
The mills show the sett....how can I train my eye to see if it is asymmetrical or not. Since you only see a fraction it can be confusing.
Thanks

**paulhenry** · 18th October 10, 03:43 PM

There are not really that many that are asymmetric, I suppose if the sample isn't big enough I'd have a look online. If you can see a mirror image of the design then it isn't asymmetrical,but it will get easier to see the pivot points in time. Have a look at Maple leaf or Buchannan to see what does make them asymmetrical.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 18th October 10, 03:46 PM

A lot of mills will mark the asymmetrical tartans in their stock list with an asterisk or some other designation so that the kilt maker will know how to order the cloth. They are used to dealing with it.

In other words, though I might order 4 yards of MacDonald from Lochcarron for an 8 yard kilt and have it delivered as a 4 yard x 54" wide piece, if I ordered 4 yards of Buchanan from Lochcarron for an 8 yard kilt, it would be delivered as an 8 yard x 27" wide length, cut from the 54" wide web of cloth.

**Tartan Tess** · 18th October 10, 04:24 PM

Thank you Paulhenry and Matt

**Tartan Tess** · 18th October 10, 04:31 PM

Wow Matt, do they really do that? (the Mills) figure it out for the maker?
Obviously I don't have alot of experience with the mills but I figured out recently, that the tartan i lust after (Weathered ulster) only came in single width and this made it alot more pricey in the long run....$49 yd. single width vs. ? double what ...

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 18th October 10, 04:46 PM

Tess,

If the mill knows you are ordering for a kilt then yes, most I order from will ship it as a single width piece. But it is best not to assume that and be sure to ask for it.

You should be able to get your Ulster tartan double width, unless you are ordering from House of Edgar, who does it 30" wide, but the per yard cost works out about the same as it did when they were weaving double width.

(Ulster is symmetrical, btw).