Scottish women wear a sash -- made from a tartan plaid -- across the upper body, diagonally from the right shoulder to the left hip. The sash is held in place with a pin on the right shoulder. The wife of the clan chief wears her sash from the left shoulder to the right hip, to designate her station. There are literally thousands of different tartan plaids that all have meaning. Some tartans designate the clan of a particular person. Within each clan, there are mourning tartans, hunting tartans and dress tartans.

  • Scottish women wear a sash -- made from a tartan plaid -- across the upper body, diagonally from the right shoulder to the left hip.
  • The wife of the clan chief wears her sash from the left shoulder to the right hip, to designate her station.

Measure 23 inches from the selvedge of the tartan. A true tartan uses dyed yarn and is not printed on the fabric. Using the lines on the plaid, cut a straight line down the entire 2 1/2 yards. You will be left with a 23-by-90-inch piece of fabric.

Fold the fabric in half with right sides together. Pin the selvedge to the raw edge. Stitch 1/2 inch from the edge, all the way down the length of the fabric.

Turn the tube right side out. With the seam running down one side, press the tube flat. The sash is now the standard 11-by-90 inches.

Pin both ends closed. Make a single line of stitching 1/2 inch from the edge on both ends. Remove the pins.

  • Fold the fabric in half with right sides together.
  • Make a single line of stitching 1/2 inch from the edge on both ends.

Pull the horizontal threads from the ends of the scarf up to the stitching. Ravel the fabric and make a short fringe.

TIP

Dry clean the sash or hand wash it in wool-safe detergent.

WARNING

Always use care when sewing on a machine.