Tartan of the Month - January 12: what do you see?

[Nick the DSM]

Possible scrap of a kilt? Either Feileadh Mor or Feileadh Beag?

[figheadair]

Possible scrap of a kilt? Either Feileadh Mor or Feileadh Beag?

Quite possibly. As it's only a scrap without any folds or sttitching it's impossible to say how it may have been used.

[creagdhubh]

Queen's Own Highlanders...Seaforth and Camerons. Cameron of Erracht tartan, Crimea War time-frame.

[figheadair]

Queen's Own Highlanders...Seaforth and Camerons. Cameron of Erracht tartan, Crimea War time-frame.

Apparently not. Look closely at the threads. What do you see and what does that tell you?

[Dixiecat]

Apparently not. Look closely at the threads. What do you see and what does that tell you?

Well, continuing with the home or primitive loom idea, I'd say that the threads themselves may have been homespun. The threads don't seem to have retained any or even much twist.

The red threads seem very bright. I don't know time frames for the types of dyes or their availability so I can't give an opinion on this other than the colour hasn't faded.

I'm gonna go all romantic and tragic by saying that a loving mother/sister/sweetheart wove a length of tartan for their husband/son/brother/sweetheart who died and was buried in the tartan with the mother/sister/sweetheart carefully keeping a swatch to remember them by.

[figheadair]

Well, continuing with the home or primitive loom idea, I'd say that the threads themselves may have been homespun. The threads don't seem to have retained any or even much twist.

You're on the right lines here. I'm not sure about the home spun/primitive loom per se but look again at the threads. There's something else about them which helps date the piece.

The red threads seem very bright. I don't know time frames for the types of dyes or their availability so I can't give an opinion on this other than the colour hasn't faded.

The red is a true scarlet. I think most comments have defacto implied a pre-analine (1856) date which would be right. Scarlet was produced by cochineal which was being used in Scotland by the early 1600s.

I'm gonna go all romantic and tragic by saying that a loving mother/sister/sweetheart wove a length of tartan for their husband/son/brother/sweetheart who died and was buried in the tartan with the mother/sister/sweetheart carefully keeping a swatch to remember them by.

see post #13.

[Dixiecat]

I'm kinda running at the limit here and can't see what you're trying to point me towards.

The last things I can add are that the threads seem shiny and that the background colour is actually two colours, one darker than the other.

As for Post #13. While nothing can be determined positively, I can dream.

[creagdhubh]

As always with the Tartan of the Month series...I'm stumped! LOL! It's a lot of fun though, Peter!

Cheers,

[Steve of Lansing]

Brand new to this but I'll give it a shot.

Does the way the treads seem to be broken rather cleanly have anything to do with dating fabric?

Also, the threads don't look very "fuzzy". Wool can be kind of itchy and I thought that the ends of the strands sticking out of the threads were what caused that.

Just a couple shots in the dark.

[figheadair]

Are the red "shiny" threads of silk?

No they are not.

Brand new to this but I'll give it a shot.

Does the way the treads seem to be broken rather cleanly have anything to do with dating fabric?

No, it is the result of the cloth having been cut rather than worn/torn.

Also, the threads don't look very "fuzzy". Wool can be kind of itchy and I thought that the ends of the strands sticking out of the threads were what caused that.

The 'clean' look is own to the fact that the yarn is worsted and the original fleece used was or a coarser type no longer available.