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Welcome to the Keith Kilt and Textile Centre's Website We also now stock Kids Clothes (Wee Scallywags) in the Shop. Well worth a Look - please click on the menu above to see the other pages
Why not 'BE CREATIVE' have fun and learn how to make a Traditional Hand Sewn, made to measure Bespoke Heirloom Kilt - (The Course description and prices are available on our 'about us' page) Why not sign up for our SQA Approved Customised Award Kiltmaking Course or a Textile related course. Students may only want to make one Heirloom kilt and that's OK - you do not have to sign up for the course but we do have to follow SQA's Policies and Procedures USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND MAKE AN HEIRLOOM KILT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL.......... A VERY REWARDING SKILL ALL OUR KILTS ARE HANDSEWN EXCEPT THE WAISTBAND. THEY ARE MADE IN THE AGE OLD ART OF TRADITIONAL KILTMAKING
Two wee McPherson Tartan Kilts made by one of our students for her Great Grandsons We deliver kiltmaking courses on a regular basis in the Laidlaw Room at 147 Mid Street, Keith, Banffshire. Because our SQA Approved Kiltmaking course is a work based course, students on the course are at all different stages of the course, Some are beginners and some are almost finished the SQA approved Customised Award course Courses are booked by contacting the Keith Kilt and Textile Centre by email at kiltsandtextiles@btconnect.com or by telephone at 01542 886846 Dates subject to student numbers November Kilt Making dates Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd Friday 8thand Saturday 9th Friday 15th and Saturday 16th Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd Friday 29th and Saturday 30th
8 Metres of tartan in the process of being pleated, ready for the next stage of the kilt. The canvases, and temporary straps and buckles are then fitted for the first customer fitting. Alterations can be made at this stage if required. THE SKILL IS IN THE MAKING OF, AN HEIRLOOM KILT TRADITIONAL MADE TO MEASURE AND ALL HAND SEWN .EXCEPT FOR THE WAISTBAND WHICH IS MACHINE SEWN......... THE FINISHED KILT HAS TO BE SEEN, TO BE BELIEVE!!
A beautifuk little dress made especially for a wee girl by her GRANNY, to go to a special wedding.......... We are now also stocking KIDS CLOTHES IN THE SHOP at "WEE SCALLYWAGS" at Keith Kilt and Textile Centre. Check out our Facebook page at Wee Scallywags Kids Clothes in stock includes MAYORAL, ALL ABOUT EMMA and much, much more We also have a good selection of KNITTING YARNS and NEEDLES, DMC threads Evening Bags, Cushions Jewellery including some childrens jewellery (more coming soon) and a small SELECTION OF GIFTS including TARTAN TIES AND SCARVES
ABOVE IS A BANFFSHIRE BEAR - A COLLECTORS ITEM UNIQUE TO THE KEITH KILT AND TEXTILE CENTRE WHY NOT SIGN UP FOR A TEDDY BEAR WORKSHOP WHERE YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN TEDDY BEAR - OR A MEMORY BEAR FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL THE MEMORY BEAR CAN BE MADE FROM TREASURED TEXTILES FROM A LOVED ONE
HAND CRAFTED GOODS ARE JUST SOME OF THE ITEMS AVAILABLE TO ORDER. THERE ARE OTHER INTERESTING GIFTS INCLUDING BESPOKE ANIMAL FRONTED CUSHIONS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY IN THE GIFT SHOP NOW AT 50% OFF THE ORIGINAL PRICE CHECK OUT OUR END OF SUMMER RANGE OF GORGEOUS KIDS CLOTHES FROM BIRTH TO 8 YEARS OLD UP TO 75% OFF UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2024 WE ARE ALSO ADDING OTHER ITEMS AS THE INSPIRATION MOVES US ............
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How the process begins to make the Tartan
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Let's get Started!! There are many types of fleece, from sheep reared in Scotland, the UK and across the globe. If the sheep are not shorn their skin can be infested with insects that infect the sheep, and is detrimental to the sheeps well being. It is a fallacy that farmers make huge profit from the sheeps fleece - however the fleece can be used for other uses besides tartan or tweed. Sheeps wool is used in duvets, padding for jackets and wadding for insulation etc.
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What to Chose? It starts with the basic fleece, washed, combed, spun and dyed to the specific colours required for the tartan design. The range of colours are amazing and it is the dyeing process that gives the range of colours that are available, from the bright colours - reds, to blues, to greens, to yellows, to oranges and much more bright colours. for modern tartan. The more muted colours are used in Ancient, Muted and Weathered tartans
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Love the Colours!! It's the colours that make the tartan so appealing. Tartan is usually available in Modern, (bright colours). Ancient, Hunting, Weathered, Muted or Hunting colours are much more subdued but still make a beautiful tartan. Having your own tartan designed gives you the opportunity to chose your colors, your sett size and your own design. Dress or Fashion can be in any of the colours available from the Mills Linda our Voluntary Chair has designed another tartan called "Hearts of Grampian" to acknowledge the Heart Team in Aberdeen who used their skills to save her life in 2021/2022
Begin with the Tartan Design Linda works with the House of Edgar in Perth to design her own tartans, where they are only available from the Keith Kilt and Textile Centre. We offer Shades of Banffshire, Shades of Moray, Shades of Brodgar and Shades of the Old Man of Hoy. Linda Gorn has recent;y designed The Hearts of Grampian tartan to acknowledge the work done by the Heart Team in The Aberdeen Royal infirnary. We held a raffle to raise funds for the Heart team and we raised over £3,000 which went towards recliner chairs and a wheelchair to benefit the patients
Think Kilts - Think Keith - Think Tartan
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Love the many designs of tartans that are available.
There are over 6,000 designs of tartan available and the colours are beautiful. Why not look up the The Scottish Register of Tartans (www.tartanregister.gov.uk) to see the wide range of tartans on offer. Clan, Regimental, Family, Corporate, Fashion, Dress or Personal. Some of the Tartans are restricted and only available from the person/compamy who registered the tartan. Some are registered but have not been woven yet.
Well worth a look.
We offer an in-house design service - please contact us for more details.
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An amazing range of Tartan designs - over 6,000 distinct patterns.
Most of our tartans that we purchase for our kilts are woven in Keith at Isle Mill Ltd (House of Edgar), Isla Bank Mills, Industrial Estate, Station Road, Keith. They also weave some beautiful fabrics for the textile industry. We also buy from Lochcarron of Scotland,
D C Dalgliesh, Strathmore Woollen Co, and Marton Mills (across the border)
We source threads etc from a company in Glasgow so keeping it as local to Scotland as possible. Other items such as socks, sporrans etc we source from
bona fide manufactors in Scotland including Margaret Morrison Ltd in Perth
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You're never too small or to old to wear a kilt
The student can make kilts for all sizes, from tiny little ones, to ladies and gents.
Each kilt is an individual
heirloom in the making.
We also design accessories, in-house, in tartan or tweed, mainly for the ladies, to match their loved ones kilts or just because we like designing and creating the item.
For Handbags, Brooches and Textile Courses etc please
Contact us for further details.
Textile and other courses are by Booking only. Kilt Course dates are usually set a month in advance.
Textile Courses are arranged to suit the student.