Official State Tartan of Washington
The Washington District tartan was adopted as the official state tartan of Washington in 1991. A project of the Vancouver Country Dancers, it was designed by Margaret McLeod van Nus and Frank Cannonito to commemorate the Washington State Centennial celebrations. The Washington District tartan is accredited by the Scottish Tartans Society. All State Tartans
Colors of Washington District Tartan
The background color of green represents the rich forests of Washington (the evergreen state). The perpendicular bands of contrasting colors are symbols for the following features of Washington state:
What is a Tartan?
Tartan can be defined as a cloth with a twill weave, usually made of wool, using a unique pattern of multicolored stripes in both directions, and accepted by some group as "theirs." Tartans represent clans (families) or regions in Scotland. In old Scotland, the tartan was used for clothing. Because a family or community worked the cloth together, their clothing was made of the same patterns. In the eighteenth century Clan Tartans were adopted and a person could be recognized by the tartan they wore. Tartans can also be designed as a symbol to commemorate a special event or person.
A tartan pattern is traditionally called a "sett," which is defined by a particular thread count. When woven, the sett is mirrored in all directions.