Orkney Trio Graduate with Pioneering Clothes-Making Qualification
Three women from Orkney have graduated with a pioneering clothes-making qualification, paving the way for others to follow.
Briony Avery, Kayleigh Archibald and Frances Marshall completed the SQA-accredited Kindred Clothing Award (Garment Construction) qualification, offered by Dundee charity Front Lounge.
The trio completed the course entirely online, supported locally by Orkney-based fashion designer and social entrepreneur Kirsteen Stewart.
Their achievements, along with those of Orkney-based Nymeria Drayak, who graduated this time last year, bring the total number of Kindred Clothing graduates in Scotland to 71. Last year, Nymeria was also recognised as the programme’s most outstanding learner and received the Tailor Trade Award from the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee.
Now qualified, the three seamstresses are preparing to deliver the course to others in Orkney, ensuring skills continue to grow within the community.
Briony, a member of the Scottish Women’s Institute, said, “Having taught for over 30 years and now working with Learning Link in Kirkwall, I love supporting people who want to improve their confidence and skillsets. I also love sewing, crafting, and sharing these skills with others.
“As well as achieving my own qualification, I now have the chance to deliver the course to others and to keep building that sense of community here in Orkney. At The Learning Link, we’ve already started a beginner’s sewing class, which has proved so popular that we have a waiting list. We’re now all set to run the SQAKindred Clothing course early next year.”
Kayleigh, who has a two-year-old son, added, “The Kindred Course has been an invaluable experience. It has reinforced my self-belief, introduced me to wonderful people, and opened up conversations about Kindred within the wider community. I’ve come away realising how empowering it is to be told ‘you can’ – and then proving to yourself that it’s true.
“I want to pass on that empowerment to others, cheering them on and helping them through their own Kindred journeys. The course is challenging, and everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but the sense of achievement at the end is worth every hurdle.”
Front Lounge founder Chika Inatimi said, “Graduation is always a highlight in the Front Lounge calendar, but it’s extra special when we see learners succeed online from hundreds of miles away.
“It’s inspiring to witness this group not only complete the course but also commit to sharing it with others in their community. That’s exactly what we’ve seen in Dundee: learners gain skills and confidence and then want to pass that on. Every graduate deserves huge praise for their perseverance and achievements.”
For more information and to express an interest in taking part in Kindred Clothing, email hello@frontlounge.org, message Front Lounge via social media or visit www.frontlounge.org.
ENDS
NOTE TO EDITORS
Led by Dundee charity Front Lounge, the Kindred Clothing Award (Garment Production) qualification was designed by a group of young mums in 2020 and is delivered by businesses within the Clothes Making Learning Partnership (CMLP). They take learners through the key stages of the garment production process, from setting up and using a sewing machine to mood boards, pattern making and garment construction. Learners also gain practical fashion photography skills and techniques to present themselves, their stories and their clothes amongst their fellow learners, tutors and others.