This kilt acknowledges my completion of the formal part of my training as a kiltmaker, with the award of the SQA qualification in traditional kiltmaking from the Keith Kilt School. Over the course of two years I’ve been training with head kiltmaker Linda Ghillies, who has patiently put me through my paces, ensuring all the essential handstitched techniques are learnt, whilst supporting my own idiosyncratic twists to tradition alongside.
It’s been a pleasure to be part of this community and bring in a contemporary approach to this historic craft. This very slow and sustainable means of making sits in opposition to mass manufactured garments, but as awareness grows of the impact those garments are having I’m hopeful this endangered craft will find greater recognition and more independent kiltmakers will enter the field.
Using a Glen Check tweed woven at the local Isle Mill in Keith was a fitting fabric for the job. As a slightly lighter tweed with many colours it has suited pleating in the box style giving an overall effect of banding across the width, but highlighting the fine detail of the single red stripe at each centre. I’m complementing the vintage green and blue fabric I’ve inset to each fringe with vintage bakelite buttons instead of the traditional straps and buckles and have again used both edges of the apron to focus on the fringes to really bring out the bright colours in this cloth.
