Kiltmaking / Jewellery Crossover!

Nov 19

So, you know I make kilts, and you know I make jewellery. Lately I’ve been thinking about crossover between the two. There is a lot of Scottish dress-related jewellery out there (clan badges, kilt pins, fly plaid brooches, scarf pins, etc.). The thing is, a lot of it is…..well….kitschy….if I’m being charitable. So, I’ve been thinking about more contemporary designs.

In a fit of serendipity, I was doing retail at the studio over the summer, when a couple came in to enquire about wedding rings. One thing led to another, and the next I knew, I was making a fly plaid brooch. Turns out, this couple felt the way I did about a lot of what was available, and the groom was planning to go full-on Scottish for the wedding (they’re both of Scottish background).

These were my initial suggestions, incorporating elements of the traditional crest, but combined in a unique way, incorporating some of the elements the groom was particularly enamored of.

The initial designs weren’t quite right, so we went back and forth a bit, tweaking the design, eventually settling on this one, incorporating the calligraphic monogram, and the rope base.

Using a combination of carved and cast parts with fabrication from sheet, with handmade hardware, here are a few of my in process photos, as well as the final piece, which is partially oxidised, to really highlight some of the details in the design. It turned out amazing, and the couple were really happy with it as well.

In fact, they very kindly sent me a picture of it in the wild, so here it is on the day, on a lovely Mackinlay fly plaid!

I loved working in collaboration with them to get a design that pleased us both, and that resulted in a truly unique piece that they’ll love for years to come! Wanting to proudly display your Scottish heritage, in a more contemporary way, I’d love to work with you too!