Mad About Plaid

Anna Lee Gunn (1853-1940)

Tartan  - noun - a woolen cloth woven in one of several patterns of plaid, especially of a design associated with a particular Scottish clan.   

I LOVE PLAID!  There, I said it.  If I could only have one pattern for eternity, it would be plaid. 

Straight lines, horizontal, vertical, repeating, weaving in and out,

some on top, some underneath… perfection.

I LOVE PLAID!  There, I said it again!

Buffalo check, gingham, glen plaid, houndstooth, madras, tartan, tattersall, window pane.

Beach, cabin, casual, country, feminine, formal, juvenile, manly, mountain, playful, woodsy.

Blankets, comfy chairs, drapes, flannel, pillows, pottery, rugs, bed sheets, stationery, wallpaper.

Parochial school uniforms.

Burberry, MacKenzie-Childs, Pottery Barn, Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood, Williams-Sonoma.

I LOVE PLAID!  And, again! 

Incredibly versatile, every room demands at least one plaid.

Surely, an innate love of tartan means I’m Scottish.  If not, my great, great, grandma, Anna Lee Gunn Marston, solidifies my Highlander heritage. 

A little lesson… Celtic history, dating back thousands of years, used nature’s bounty to dye wool in a variety of colors and weave the yarns together in overlapping straight rows.  Evolving into today’s plaids or tartans, the fabric comprised of horizontal and vertical lines set in a repeat pattern with specific colors and line count.  Fast forward, Scottish Clans used the tartans, like a uniform, to unite their family in dress.  The same family tartan may have several color versions but the pattern will remain the same: dress for the women; hunting for, well, hunting; mourning for mourning… you get it.  War and peace basically outlawed the Scottish fabric from 1746 to 1785, squashing its significance.  Fast forward, again, to 1822 when King George IV of England invited clan chiefs to wear their plaids to meet.  As the clans did not know their ancient patterns or colors, many modern plaids were developed, reigniting interest in the woven cloth.  Williams Wilson & Sons, already established as master tartan weavers, accelerated production.  The demand was overwhelming, leading the company to streamline production by developing and cataloguing standard colors and patterns.  Eventually, each pattern was named for a clan, location, or weaver allowing easy identification.  Today, tartans are registered at the Registers at Lyon Court with the exact color and thread count.  Used in abundance, plaids play a prominent role in the world of design.

Admit it.  If you wouldn’t before, you will say it now…

“I LOVE PLAID!”