Tartan in the home
Five pages on tartan as furnishing: the general principles first, then pillows, rugs, tablecloths and blankets, where the material questions differ.
Start with the decor page for scale and colour. The pillow, rug, tablecloth and blanket pages deal with the points that are specific to each object: fibre, size, care and what the pattern does at that scale.
Care and fibre statements on these pages rest on regulations, wool-industry guidance and conservation sources rather than on sellers' labels alone. Where only a retailer is available, the page says that it is one retailer's view.
HomeTartan home decor: throws, curtains, tablecloths and pattern scaleTartan works best in a room as one or two chosen objects, not a theme. This page covers scale, which items carry the pattern, fabric weight and the care advice that is actually sourced.HomeTartan Pillows: Covers, Fills and Mixing PatternsHow to choose cover material and fill for a tartan or plaid cushion, size the insert against the cover, and combine it with other patterns.HomeTartan Rugs and Carpet: Materials, Scale and CareHow tartan and plaid rugs are made, which fibres they use, how pattern scale suits a room, and how to look after a wool rug.HomeTartan Tablecloths: Sizing, Weave and CareHow to work out the size of a tartan or plaid tablecloth, how a woven tartan differs from a printed one, and which stain and washing advice is sourced and which is not.HomeTartan Blankets and Throws: Fibre, Size, Care and HistoryWhat a tartan blanket or throw is made of, how big the listed sizes are, why makers and the wool industry give different care advice, and what surviving eighteenth-century barred blankets do and do not show.