Acme Atelier

This cloth is always a special pleasure to work with. It’s soft, blanket like handle sews like butter between the fingers and calls for a different structural approach to the norm. Just three deep box pleats and two knife pleats are the means of shaping this kilt into a fluid A-line. There are some specific details here, designed to highlight the exceptional craftsmanship of the heritage mill further along the Moray coast where this tweed was woven— by Sam Goates Woven In The Bone

Details from two recent commissions for Old Stone Trade clients, both using the same featherweight, indigo wool suiting.
In comparison to a standard tartan weighing in at 13oz, this 4oz cloth would seem to be incompatible with handstitched kilt construction.
However, historically this follows the origins of the pleating method for the schenti, worn by the Egyptian pharaohs, made most often in linen and formed using hot metal blades to set fine, close folds into knife pleats; which is the origin of the term we use in kiltmaking today.

Huge thanks to and of for the opportunity to share our skills during London Craft Week.
The DYE • WEAVE • PLEAT collaboration features in OUR COMMON GROUND, their beautiful show of British crafts showing at Art’otel London Hoxton until the end of May.
Thank you to everyone who came to our workshops and talks and the lovely team at for looking after us. Extra special thanks to .beeler our guest collaborator, who crafted these beautiful kilt pins and as always and whose scholarship award made it all possible in the first place.

Speckles and squares in a paired back monotone flannel tweed. This is a deceptively simple design, but one that’s quite complex to execute, a centre back double box pleat, two further double box pleats over each hip and double knife pleats to the front, framing the classic a-line kilt apron. Simple, soft, but well structured..

Spring has sprung here — finally! … and this kilt is a celebration in the April sunshine of a big birthday, a gift from parents to their daughter, who joined in its making by printing her lining with spring flowers as her surprise inside.
The tartan is a Hebridean Macleod, woven by in my neighbouring town, Keith. An unusual and pretty mix of colours for this popular sett which we’ve pleated in reverse Kinguisse form, adding a twist in its tail to flip the twill direction down the centre back of the box, creating the subtle chevron effect.