Want in on a little secret?
The plaid pattern you see on my website isn’t just a pretty design I found somewhere — it’s my very own family tartan.
In 2023, to mark both my debut novel A Thread in Time and my 30th wedding anniversary, my husband and I commissioned a bespoke tartan by the same name. What started as a way to honor our story also became a way of grounding myself in my newly uncovered Scottish heritage.
The result is a registered tartan with deep personal meaning, created in collaboration with the renowned textile designer Araminta Campbell, LTD.
The Story Behind the Tartan
Designing a tartan isn’t as simple as choosing a handful of colors. It’s a form of storytelling — one where every thread count, shade, and pairing carries intention.
Over the course of a year, I worked closely with Araminta and her team. It began with an hours-long interview where I shared pieces of my life, my family, and the ancestral threads that shaped my novel.
Every element of the tartan reflects a part of our family’s story:
Dark blue (30 threads): Honoring the thirty years of marriage we celebrated in 2024.
Blue and grey checks (24 threads): A tribute to the 24th, our anniversary date.
Three red threads: For our three daughters.
Two white threads: For our two sons.
Color palette: Jewel tones balancing tradition with the life I’ve lived — the blues echoing the ocean between Scotland and America, and the tropical waters where I grew up.
Clan heritage: Rooted in my connections to the Skene and Forbes families.
What began as a celebration of a milestone soon became something larger — a woven symbol of family, heritage, and the way stories pass from one generation to the next.
Just as my novel connects past to present through narrative, this tartan does the same through pattern and color. It is, in its own way, another thread in time.
The Craft Behind the Cloth
The tartan was brought to life by Araminta Birse-Stewart, founder of Araminta Campbell, LTD.
Trained in embroidery and self-taught in weaving, Araminta brings a rare blend of artistry and precision to her craft. She works at the edge of a centuries-old tradition, honoring its rules while quietly expanding its possibilities. In her own words:
“The quality and story behind a hand-crafted item is something that cannot be rivalled. In this world of mechanical development, I feel that the appreciation for handmade items is growing… I love the complex and mathematical design required and I try to push the boundaries of my knowledge by creating new designs and challenging the limits that can often be very restricting in weaving.”
Her ethos shaped every step of this collaboration.
Bringing the Tartan to Life
To complete the vision, I worked with Kathryn Sargent, the renowned bespoke tailor based in Edinburgh. She transformed the finished fabric into a skirt, jacket, and sash. Her attention to detail and mastery of tailoring allowed the tartan to become something wearable — something lived in, carried, and passed on.
For me, this tartan is more than cloth. It speaks to the human story — the threads that bind us across oceans, generations, and choices. I’m here because of people who lived long before me, and my children will carry those threads forward in their own ways.
So, the next time you see this pattern on my website or in my work, you’ll know it isn’t just a design. It’s a reminder of connection, heritage, and the ties that endure through time. And if this kind of behind-the-scenes story resonates with you, stay close. There are many more threads to share.
Author’s Note
This tartan could not have come to life without the artistry and dedication of two remarkable women: Araminta Birse-Stewart of Araminta Campbell, LTD, who designed and wove the Thread in Time tartan, and Kathryn Sargent, bespoke tailor in Edinburgh, who transformed the fabric into a skirt, jacket, and sash with unmatched craftsmanship. I am deeply grateful to both for weaving their talents into my family’s story.
