Nice work!

The single most important discovery I made while developing a tartan was the issue of scale. Initially, I had based my plan on the Matheson tartan, which has a really large sett. Until it was pointed out to me, I hadn't noticed that the pleats of my ancient hunting Matheson kilt were different depths in order to create the perfect balanced look it has. That takes a bit of skill on the part of the kiltmaker.

Therefore, I reduced the scale considerably, and ended up with a tartan more like the Gordon (the other influence I wanted to include). I'm quite pleased with the result.

Another aspect is the exact thread colour*. I left that aspect in the capable hands of the weaver, Gordon Kirkbright {of Fraser & Kirkbright Weaving in Vancouver BC} whose choices absolutely blew me away. There's nothing quite like experience and skill to bring out the best in a tartan!

It's an expensive proposition to design, register and weave your own tartan, but with good planning and good advice, it's an enriching and rewarding experience.

* the avatar in the corner doesn't do it justice. Check out Lady Chrstel's site, and you can see the Stephen Mathieson tartan in its actual colours.