Kilt pins

Nothing goes to waste in my studio. I have bags and bags of fabric scraps and of course lots of small pieces of the upcycled felted woollen jumpers I use for my Cast offs scarves and blankets. I am always thinking of things I can make with the scraps – my ultimate satisfaction is to design and make a product from the waste, generated from the affluent society I am fortunate enough to live in.

I have always been attracted to everyday objects that others may overlook. I have no idea why but things like pegs, matchboxes, safety pins, snap lock bags and corks are the kinds of funny things I like and of course I have a fondness for kilt pins.

They are functional and yet beautifully formed. They can be worn in both a practical and decorative manner - such as protecting a Scotsman’s modesty, fastened as a brooch on a scarf or wrap or used to pin your cardigan together.

I had been making brooch like kilt pins with dangly things hanging off for a while – my focus was shifting and I wanted to make a flower type brooch from my wool scraps. I was sitting in my studio snipping flowers in various sizes – playing around with layering them together and wondering how I could join them without using a button sewn in the centre – that seemed so predictable and somehow unoriginal.

That’s where my kilt pin epiphany moment comes in. I needed a stem for my flower brooch – but also something that would join the layered flowers together and fasten the flower to your scarf or cardigan. Once I had made a few and worn them a bit – I knew I was onto something. Cast offs Botanical Kilt pins were born and almost 700 kilt pins later…..I think they have been a definite winter winner.