Tartan
refers to fabric woven into plaid patterns which represent
clans, families or regions in Scotland. A Tartan may be
designed to commemorate a special event or person. In old
Scotland, the Tartan was used for dress as well as a banner
or flag. The kilt is made in special Tartan designs. Because
a family or community worked the cloth together, their clothing
was made of the same patterns, and so a person could be
recognized by the Tartan plaid that he wore.
The
Texas Bluebonnet Tartan was conceived and designed by June
P. McRoberts. She designed a pattern to represent the state
flower, the Bluebonnet, using the colors and symmetry of
the flower itself. She received much help and guidance from
the Scottish Tartan Society Museum in Scotland and later
registered the Bluebonnet Tartan with the STS Museum, the
official register for tartans. The first official recognition
of the McRoberts tartan came in 1986 when the Sesquicentennial
Committee of Texas adopted the Bluebonnet Tartan as the
official Sesquicentennial Tartan. In 1989, Texas Representative
Schlueter became aware of the Texas Bluebonnet Tartan and
one of his last acts before retiring was to put forth the
motion that the tartan be officially adopted as the State
Tartan. In May 25, 1989, by In-House Concurrence Resolution
#242, the Texas Bluebonnet Tartan became the official State
Tartan for the great state of Texas.
