The STILL GARDEN Kilt

Designed and made for garden designer Jane Porter, to record the plants in her gold award winning show garden; The Still Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022.

Both the garden and the kilt showcase heritage crafts on the Heritage Crafts Association endangered list, highlighting the need to preserve our intangible cultural heritage for future generations.

Beginning by studying each plant in sketches, this kilt brings my printmaking, kiltmaking and bespoke leatherwork together using heavyweight upholstery linen, woven at The Isle Mill in Moray. The bespoke textile is handprinted using a mix of block printing, and handcut stencil silkscreen printing, each describing the flowers, stems and stamen details of Angelica Sylvestris and Alchemilla Mollis. On the inside my silk painting brings to life the bright centres of Anemone Honorine Jobert.

This contemporary mix of wide, but deep box and knife pleats is a variant of an historic Kinguissie form, in an elegant longer length. Handstitched in the traditional method, this design is also used in The Chelsea Kilt; a mid length option made in Scottish wool with a double box to the centre back with a fringed and feathered hem detail.

Image of Jane Porter and Andrea Chappell in the Still Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show by Ellen Wilkinson