A scheme of traditional tartan weaving
The Falkirk Tartan is believed to be the oldest tartan in existence. This tartan is an example of 3rd century tartan production. It shows that at this time different colors were created by using different types of wool rather than the different colored wool we see today.
While there were professional weavers, most of the tartan produced in the 1700s was produced by the woman of the house using small handlooms: small-scale tartan productions meant that only small sections could be produced at a time. As a result, smaller pieces of material were often sewn together to produce the desired size, for example when producing a plaid.
The “walk” of the wool takes place before the wool becomes yarn.
The process of cleaning tartan cloth of any dirt or oil and treating it to make it more resistant is called ‘waulking’; the cloth was soaked in warm water and urine (for the ammonia) and then dried before being kneaded on a board, sometimes a door was taken off its hinges if no other surface was available. On the island of St Kilda, women worked together to move the cloth with their hands and feet while singing a traditional ‘waulking’ song to help keep them in time.
Most dyes were made locally from plant sources: most commonly from bark, roots, heather, and berries which could produce a dye that did not fade. So-called vintage colors that are more subtle and muted than modern synthetic dyes and are still popular. ‘Every good farmer’s wife was competent to dye blue, red, green, yellow, black, brown,’ notes a 19th-century writing by James Logan. the use of local dyes produced a range of color variations depending on locally available dyes and small variations were accepted. There was a great deal of pride associated with the production of tartan and the different patterns created.
How is tartan woven?
The warp: the longitudinal thread of the tartan is first placed on the loom, then the weft (transverse threads) is woven. The checkered pattern is created by weaving the two bands of color at right angles. The bottom part of the kilt is called the selvedge; it is woven differently to prevent the material from unraveling.
Before the Battle of Culloden in 1746, most tartans were woven by independent weavers at home. With the advent of regimental tartans, traditional sources could no longer meet the demand and specialist companies emerged to deal with these new customers. Wilson’s of Bannockburn was one of the most famous.
Due to the outlawing of tartan, the art of weaving in homes was lost to some extent. She lamented the loss of old cloth-making skills “Deprived of the pleasure of seeing their husbands, sons, and favourites, in that elegant garb, emulation died, and they were content to make wool in the coarsest and clumsiest way. ..” patterns of the 17th century, as well as dyeing methods, had mostly been forgotten. For a time, regimental kilts were synonymous with dirt cheap. Those in command of the troops were looking to cut costs and soldiers were often issued kilts made from a very poor quality tartan and made with less material than a standard kilt. As a result, English cartoonists of the time depicted Scottish troops wearing ridiculously short kilts. This practice ended with the intervention of Queen Victoria, who ordered that ‘soft rather than hard tartan be worn’ for all regimental tartans.