Buying a bolt of tartan fabric?

[Seeria]

Running searches hasn't done me well, perhaps because I don't know the proper terms?

I am considering buying a bolt of fabric, tartan in the colors of Muir and maybe MacWhirter (partner's heritage).
Are there special terms for going about this?
I don't see these fabrics at shops (googled) so I am guessing I have to request they be made?
Would anyone here happen to know how to describe the Muir weave? MacWhirter?
Would hate to order a bolt and find out that's not what it is in a US fabric shop, but something entirely not what I needed.

Confused now but hopefully learning, and retaining (well, old age, hard to retain things now days).

[Squeaky McMurdo]

You'll have to get it from a shop that sells Scottish stuff.

X Marks gets a 10% discount at Scotweb if you click on it in the upper right hand corner of the forum.

Several of our other sponsers carry tartan fabric too.

[cavscout]

For a bolt you might be better off going straight to the mill. Try:

Marton Mills
Don't use the web form. Scroll down and use the email address at the very bottom of the page.

Locharron

There are many others but these might get you started.

[KiltedBrewer]

Are you looking for wool to make kilts, or just fabric with the correct pattern?

[ForresterModern]

According to Scotweb's exhaustive tartan list Muir is made in several weights and double width by lochcarron as a standard tartan, and by House of Edgar in 13 oz Rare and Select collection. It can also be custom woven by their Glen Affric custom tartan weavers. MacWhirter is also available in several weights but only as a Glen Affric weave. DC Dalgleish is reported to do a lot of custom weaves for kiltmakers at a reasonable price. Also you could consider contacting Fraser & Kirkbright who do a significant number of custom weaves for people, even for xmarks.

Both tartans are registered with the STA so their pattern and threadcounts, etc..., should be readily available to anyone who is a member, and that would include virtually every tartan weaver around. Neither appears to be a proprietary tartan that would require special permission or any kind of additional surcharge for the designer or patent holder.

[Seeria]

Great info, thanks everyone!

As to type, well, haven't decided. Outfits for us ladies and kilts for the gents in the family, and then we need some with correct pattern for decorating Muir displays.

[ForresterModern]

You might want to be wary of ordering custom woven tartan as it often comes only as a single width at between 28 and 30" rather than the more standard woven tartans usually being double width at between 54-60". Single width fabric may limit how you can use it in certain pieces of attire, particularly womens long skirts. Should be fine for kilts. But better check what you are getting and what you are really going to need before ordering. Hate to see you compromise with something special like a major family event, which everybody wants to be perfect.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Just ditto what others have said. If you purchase from a reputable tartan dealer, they'll know what you mean when you ask for the Muir or MacWhirter tartan. You won't need to supply a threadcount or anything, just let them know what weight you need. Muir is available from stock from more than one mill in a variety of weights. MacWhirter will require weaving, but for a full bolt that won't be a problem.

Most places (STM included) only price per yard on their web sites. If you phone in and talk to someone, you should be able to get a discount on a whole bolt of cloth.
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/yardage.html

[Paul Henry]

You might want to be wary of ordering custom woven tartan as it often comes only as a single width at between 28 and 30" rather than the more standard woven tartans usually being double width at between 54-60". Single width fabric may limit how you can use it in certain pieces of attire, particularly womens long skirts. Should be fine for kilts. But better check what you are getting and what you are really going to need before ordering. Hate to see you compromise with something special like a major family event, which everybody wants to be perfect.

If you are getting it woven specially there are many weavers who who weave it double width without any problem, infact some weavers only have double width looms, Dalgleish is one of the few who will weave a short length on a single width, but prices for a double width are much more economic if you need a lot

[jhockin]

check out Fraser & Kirkbright, at; http://www.wooltartan.com/ ; at $30 per meter ( Canadian $'s!) ( same price whether 10 oz or anything up to 16oz.) , and a minimum 30 yd order, for custom weave, it is much cheaper than most Scottish mills. I wanted MacNaughton Ancient, so to afford the 30yd min. order, I advertised, on the 'for sale' section of this forum, to get enough other folks to join in, to make-up the full 30yd (you could order more than 30 yds, if you got more interest). There have been some occasional problems, with F&K orders, but Gordon, at F&K has, in my experience, always tried to 'make it right'. Also, some say that it isn't the same quality as the 'top' Scottish mills, but I've been very pleased with all the material I've bought there ( at less than 1/2 the price of the Scottish products).