Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Kiltmaker Brad appears on Kirstie Allsop’s show
A KILTMAKER from Angus has appeared on a Channel 4 TV show starring Kirstie Allsop.
Brad Kelly, 24, showed off his skills when he appeared on Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas’ last night.
The series brings talented crafters together to take part in festive challenges — with Brad joining a number of other weavers to create their own unique Christmas stockings.
He created a stunning miniature kilt turned stocking, complete with a pair of knitted legs and traditional sporran.
Brad, who has been selling his creations from a stall in the Wellgate, said: “I applied for the show but then someone actually messaged me through Facebook and asked if I would like to be involved.
“We filmed for a day in my house and then I went down to Devon to film the contest. It was fabulous — a great experience.
“Kirstie Allsop was so lovely to talk to as well.
“We were there for five hours, with a break in the middle, but it was tough and I finished mine just before the time ran out. It was absolutely crazy.”
Brad has been making kilts for over three years and was recently able to leave his job as a bus conductor to focus full time on his business Kilty Pleasure.
He is also in the process of starting a wedding shop with a friend in Arbroath, which is due to open its doors in February.
Brad said: “I’ve been getting loads of orders.
“I’ve been crafting things for 10 years and I’ve just left my job as a bus conductor with Stagecoach.
“It’s doing well enough that I can go full time.
“I made my first kilt when I was 21 and it’s just gone from there.
“A lot of that has been through Facebook — I’ve got a lot of time for Facebook as it’s been a big part of what I do.
“Recently I’ve started making flowers from the scraps of tartan I have left over and they’re doing really well too.
“And I’m away to open a wedding shop with a friend in Arbroath on February 1.
“Once we’ve got that, I’ll be making wedding dresses and hiring things out. Things will really start to take off. It’s been crazy so far how much has happened all in this year.”
Although his kilt-themed stocking was descried as “cute, jolly and alternative” by the competition’s judge he lost to a to a weaver from the Borders.
Losing didn’t spoil the experience for the kiltmaker though with Brad saying: “The lady from the Borders won but I’ve never really made a stocking before — and this one wasn’t much of a stocking either. The experience was awesome.”