Acme Atelier

07/10/2026

Through my work I’m incredibly fortunate to play a small part in the big life events of folk I’ve not previously known and always consider it a real honour when asked. This one was a particular privilege and timely to share during wool month.

The Isle of Auskerry kilt is the result of two dedicated farmers, Simon Brogan and Theresa Probert, raising their North Ronaldsay flock alongside their family in a remote and isolated island on the eastern edge of the Orkney archipelago.
The kilt is the culmination of their determination over the last 50yrs and was made to celebrate the wedding of their youngest son, Hamish, who incidentally also hand shears the flock.
His documentary films provide a beautiful and moving insight into the island life his parents have created and the respect they have for this resilient flock Hamish Auskerry | Filmmaker Isle of Auskerry
My thanks to them for this unique commission, to Vevar Weaving Mill & Studio for handweaving the cloth to Teresas design, Moray Reach Out for embroidering the beautiful dedication Hamish wrote to his parents for the lining of his kilt and to Nikkk Caledonian Forge | goldsmith. who crafted the custom kilt pin from an ancient Orkney artefact.

05/09/2026

A complementary pair of handmade African Adire fabrics created in Nigeria, using traditional batik methods to overdye jacquard cotton shirting, paired with handwoven ase oke.

17/08/2026

Looking forward to meeting some of you at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe events this evening and tomorrow evening (Mon 17/Tues 18) for kilt conversations hosted alongside some of the wonderful work of other independent makers to be found inside Scottish Textiles Showcase
The talks are sold out but for anyone interested in the making of the Dye • Weave • Pleat kilts on show in the shop the collective of three Scottish craft studios, Vevar Weaving Mill & Studio CAVAN JAYNE and myself, plus special guest Kristin Beeler feature in the latest issue of Susan Anderson | The Journal of Scottish Yarns which can also be found at the shop and online.

17/08/2026

From father to daughter — an emotional connection through cloth that means as much for me to make as it’s owner to wear — one of the many reasons I love to do what I do…

02/08/2026

When you need to shear your own sheep in order to make the kilt for your wedding — here's the start of the story from Hamish himself...

Deciding the future of the flock on this remote Scottish farm. To...

30/07/2026

From the Isle of Auskerry to Acme Atelier in Forres … via Vevar Weaving Mill & Studio handweavers, Glasgow.
A special story of a very special place, where these North Ronaldsay sheep outnumber human inhabitants 100 to 1 (and there have mostly only been 2 humans!).
The first fit of a unique kilt made from the fleece of this flock, hand shorn by Hamish Auskerry who will be wearing it on his wedding day. Hamish may be familiar to ITV viewers in Wales, where he’s now based, but returns annually to the island to help shear these rugged, seaweed eating sheep on the far eastern edge of the Orkney islands.
His documentary of the island and the extraordinary way of life his parents have created over the past 50years can be found over on YouTube where you’ll see just exactly why this kilt is so special..
A pleasure and privilege it is to be able to work with people as passionate as these… my thanks to
Theresa Isle of Auskerry
Hamish Hamish Auskerry
Christopher McEvoy Vevar Weaving Mill & Studio

19/07/2026

A cream with some added character here… put that down to the fine folks at ardalanish_mill who work with heritage breeds, largely in the natural colours of each fleece, to produce tweeds from their own heritage flock.
A pleasure to work with this for Anderson & Shephard, adding a little character of my own with sashiko detailing, custom leather straps and buckles and a silk linen lining. Just a wee while to wait for the weather to wear it!..

16/07/2026

Working with a very different kind of geometry last weekend at Karen Collins
Part of prototypes to merge natural forms and fibres in collaboration with Kirsty supported by the Traditional Arts & Culture Fund, administered by TRACS with support from from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
TRACS - Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland Creative Scotland

30/06/2026

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

26/06/2026

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.