Having been born at Craig Army Air Corps Base (Across the Alabama River from Selma), I would be interested in joining a group effort for the Alabama tartan.
I had the same experience with the university tartan. Oregon State University had a tartan design contest. A lady won and the tartan was adopted as the official tartan of the university. Then the attorneys swept in with their licensing regulations. Pendleton Mills was awarded the rights to weave the tartan, but only for scarfs.
I spent a lot of time working with the honchos at my alma mater asking only for permission to allow Dalgliesh to weave just enough tartan to sew up one kilt. Permission was denied due to the licensing regulations. Even though no mill wove the tartan for kiltmaking. Even though the university tartan would make a great looking kilt for some band members, or a custom item to sell through the university bookstore. Rules are rules. So I have a scarf in the university tartan...but no kilt.
Gotta love Shakespeare's admonition about lawyers.....
The temptation to have the tartan woven with just one thread change to the tartan pattern remains a challenge to my normally ethical behaviors.
Last edited by Riverkilt; 25th April 14 at 06:16 PM.
Ol' Macdonald himself, a proud son of Skye and Cape Breton Island
Lifetime Member STA. Two time winner of Utilikiltarian of the Month.
"I'll have a kilt please, a nice hand sewn tartan, 16 ounce Strome. Oh, and a sporran on the side, with a strap please."
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