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  1. #1
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    Describing the pattern or weave?

    Forgive me if this is posted, as I'm at a loss on how to properly describe what I'm trying to find so searches aren't showing much. Leads me to think I'm describing it wrong

    I'm trying to find info on the weave, think it's called weave. Looking at a tartan I see a crossing of oh say blue and green and a stripe of yellow. Is there a proper way (terms) to describe how a pattern or weaving is done? Blue laid on green dashed with yellow? heh Help, terms elude me!

  2. #2
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    You'll get better answers than mine, but my laymans terminology is this....

    the pattern of a tartan is known as a sett

    the sett is made up of a pattern of thread colors and counts for each color to make a line color narrow or wide.

    The threads that go the width of the fabric are the weft and the threads that go the length of the fabric are the warp.

    In tartans the warp and the weft are usually identical.

    Here's a little sight I found that might offer some input

    http://clanmckerrell.awardspace.com/tartan.htm

  3. #3
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    That is called the "sett" of the tartan. Most tartans have a symmetric sett, i.e., the colors and thread count are "sett" in one order then repeated in the reverse order to complete the sett. Example: color A for 20 threads, then color b for 6 threads, then color c for 8 threads then color d for 4 threads---would be half a sett. Doubling that would give you A20 B6 C8 D 4 then reversed to complete the sett D4 C8 B6 C20. so the whole sett would be A20 B6 C8 D4+D4 C8 B6 C20 then reverse and continue back and forth. Basically my design above would actually give a total of D8 at one end of the set and A40 at the other end of the set where the next set attaches and continues. you can see how this would bake the A color dominant. The same pattern of sett would go in the 90 degree direction to the first, thereby giving the tartan or "plaid" appearence to th material. Each individual tartan has its own unique "thread count", the order of the set and which colors are where in that order.

    So if you want a blue stripe 12 thread wide with a yellow stripe 4 thread wide in the middle of it, as long as it is in the middle of the sett it would be blue 4 yellow4 blue 4 to get it. If it was at one end of the sett it would be blue 4 yellow 2, then invert and repeat to get the same blue 4 yellow two blue 4 pattern to the end repeat of the sett.

    Make sense? Don't get me started into asymmetric setts---another whole nightmare.

    All tartans registered are done so by their sett and prescribed thread count---colors and numbers of threads in that color and what order in the sett.

  4. #4
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    The main component of a tartan sett is called the undercheck. These are the big background stripes. Most tartans have a simple undercheck of two or three main colors. The overchecks are thinner stripes that break up and modify the wide areas of the undercheck. Many tartans are identical except for the overcheck.

    The Rob Roy (think lumberjack red and black check) is about the simplest tartan going - alternating red and black stripes of equal width. No overcheck at all. Add a narrow black overcheck to the red and a narrow yellow overcheck to the black, and you have the Wallace. Cunningham is also the Rob Roy undercheck with a more complicated overcheck.

    The Black Watch and all its cousins have a three-color undercheck (wide blue and green separated by a narrower black). The reason that so many tartans look a lot like the Black Watch is that they have the Black Watch undercheck and some, but not all, of the Black Watch overcheck. For example, if you keep all of the BW overcheck but replace the narrow black overcheck in the green undercheck with a yellow overcheck, you have the Gordon instead of the Black Watch. If it's a narrow white instead of yellow, it's the Lamont. If it's a narrow white bordered by black (called a "guarded white), it's the Forbes. If it's a narrow azure, it's the Cheape. Other tartans added colored overcheck to the blue undercheck as well (Farquharson, Hunting Robertson, Murray of Atholl, etc., etc.). You could go on forever with Black Watch Family tartans.
    Kiltmaker, piper, and geologist (one of the few, the proud, with brains for rocks....
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    Geology stuff (mostly) at http://people.hamilton.edu/btewksbu
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  5. #5
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    Thread moved to Tartans and Heraldry forum.

    Cheers

    Jamie
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barb T. View Post
    The main component of a tartan sett is called the undercheck. These are the big background stripes. Most tartans have a simple undercheck of two or three main colors. The overchecks are thinner stripes that break up and modify the wide areas of the undercheck. Many tartans are identical except for the overcheck.

    The Rob Roy (think lumberjack red and black check) is about the simplest tartan going - alternating red and black stripes of equal width. No overcheck at all. Add a narrow black overcheck to the red and a narrow yellow overcheck to the black, and you have the Wallace. Cunningham is also the Rob Roy undercheck with a more complicated overcheck.

    The Black Watch and all its cousins have a three-color undercheck (wide blue and green separated by a narrower black). The reason that so many tartans look a lot like the Black Watch is that they have the Black Watch undercheck and some, but not all, of the Black Watch overcheck. For example, if you keep all of the BW overcheck but replace the narrow black overcheck in the green undercheck with a yellow overcheck, you have the Gordon instead of the Black Watch. If it's a narrow white instead of yellow, it's the Lamont. If it's a narrow white bordered by black (called a "guarded white), it's the Forbes. If it's a narrow azure, it's the Cheape. Other tartans added colored overcheck to the blue undercheck as well (Farquharson, Hunting Robertson, Murray of Atholl, etc., etc.). You could go on forever with Black Watch Family tartans.
    Waiter? Check please.

    Thanks Barb. Under check and overcheck always had me confused until now.

    j

  7. #7
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    Great information, thanks everyone!

  8. #8
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    Thanks for that, Barb. I've never heard the 'overcheck vs. undercheck' components described quite that well until now.
    The Barry

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    voca me cum benedictis." -"Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath)

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