Robin Cassady-Cain 6/20/24 Robin Cassady-Cain 6/20/24

Joy in the twirl.

Sometimes you just have one of those weeks, you know, where you find yourself overcommitted, and working, literally, every hour you can possibly manage. Last week, that was really me! One of the things was a kilt order. I thought I had loads of time, but apparently I don’t know how to read a calendar! Anyway, it was a bit down to the wire, but I got it to its recipient, and their reaction made everything worth it! The joy on his face, the jumping and twirling. It was amazing. I love these reminders of why I love making kilts!

MacKay Ancient - how cool is that lining? It’s such a lovely pop of colour, and has special meaning for its owner!

This is a repeat order - he liked the first one so much, he came back for more! There might even be more kilty action in his future! Looking for your own bespoke, handstitched traditional kilt that you can leave your own stamp on?

Tell me you want a Kilt!

Robin Cassady-Cain 4/11/24 Robin Cassady-Cain 4/11/24

Kilt-a-Palooza

Last Saturday was Tartan Day! So, I guess it’s a bit appropriate that I talk about kiltmaking this week! I’ve been a bit quiet on here, partly because I’ve been a bit busy elsewhere!! Last month I taught four intrepid sewers how to make a traditional kilt! Over two marathon weekends, we stitched, and stitched, and stitched (including some frantic stitching of pleats in between times). Hosted by the lovely Contemporary Textile Studio, despite some hiccups, we had alot of fun!

Kilt love! Or exhaustion, take your pick!

Doesn’t it look like fun? Don’t you want to make your own kilt? You can sign up for the next session - which won’t take place until November (because, let’s face it, who wants to stitch wool in the Toronto summer???). Interested, but not sure when you want to take a course? Register your interest with me, and I’ll let you know when courses are on offer!

Robin Cassady-Cain 1/11/24 Robin Cassady-Cain 1/11/24

Kilt and jewellery crossover!

I love being a one-stop-shop for all things kilty related! I had the fun of outfitting a gentleman with a kilt, and fly plaid, as well as an original fly plaid pin and kilt pin before Christmas. I love the zen of stitching, and I get such a kick out of helping someone realize the perfect outfit!

The MacKay Modern tartan, with garter flashes

Sterling silver fly plaid brooch and kilt pin. These were both based on the clan crest, which features an upheld dagger, with the motto “with a strong fist” and the kilt pin was don'e deliberately to match the fly plaid brooch. Both have been subtly oxidised in selected locations to highlight the texture and levels in both pieces.

Since the client hadn’t worn full dress before, we had a bit of a fashion show before he departed (yes, I work at home!). He looks pretty spiffy in all the trimmings!

An outfit to last for ages! I love it when a plan comes together! Want your very own kilt? Or clan jewellery to add to an existing outfit?

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Robin Cassady-Cain 11/16/23 Robin Cassady-Cain 11/16/23

Wondering what I'm getting up to?

It’s been awhile since I talked about anything textile on here, so here’s a small snippet! I’m working on a new kilt in the MacKay Modern tartan. If you don’t know, tartan is defined as: (Scottish Gaelic: breacan [ˈpɾʲɛxkən]) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours, forming simple or complex rectangular patterns. Some are a relatively simple pattern, and some are very complex, sometimes because they are derived from blending two older patterns. And the colour combinations can get pretty interesting! I think one of the cool things about tartan is that it is, in some senses, still a living thing. There is a registry for tartan, and any one who wants to design a new one, can, and then register it. Of course, it’s not quite that simple, but what a great concept!

I’m looking forward to a bit of sewing! Check back in a few weeks to see the final product(s)!

Want your very own heritage kilt?

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Want to learn how to make your very own heritage, hand-stitched kilt? Sign up to take a workshop with me in March.

Robin Cassady-Cain 2/18/22 Robin Cassady-Cain 2/18/22

New Collaboration-- Handmade, hand-dyed kilt straps

I’m very excited about a new thing to do with my kilts! A while ago, I had a new colleague start at Jewel Envy studio, Aurora (also known as Handmade Revolution). In addition to her stunning jewellery, she does alot of textile and leather work. You can see some of her belts here.

She hand dyes and hand cuts and finishes her own leather goods, which are fab! So, I thought, what better collaboration than to team up and offer customized straps for my kilt enthusiasts! So, now I am able to offer you custom colours and some custom embossing, if you’re so inclined. There’s the usual black and brown options, but there are some more “interesting” colours too! And if you’re interested in a different colour altogether, that can be arranged.