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| Featured Designer |
| I've never met Kay but we started emailing each other last year when Kay donated two lovely designs to Colleens of Canberra. Kay has been involved in Irish dancing for many years now. Both Kay's daughters were/are Irish dancers and last year in 2004 Kay's youngest daughter won the Under 18 Ladies at the Eastern Canadian Oireachtas. Kay not only designs dresses but also designs and makes the most gorgeous crowns for any dresses. You will see some pictures below of her stunning crowns. I hope you enjoy learning about Kay McKay. |
| Q. How long have you been designing Irish dance dress designs? A. I have been designing dresses for about seven years. Both of my daughters were/are dancers and I began designing when my oldest wanted a "different" dress. I was convinced by some other dance Mom's to do some work for them and it expanded from there. |
| Kay McKay Canada |
| Q. What has been your inspiration? A. I love colour and I love texture. I see a fabric and my mind goes off into a world of its own. I doodle when ever I talk on the phone and have taken the results and used pieces to create designs. I see a shape or art and create from the "impression " the shape or art gives me. Inspiration comes from many places. I hate when I have a "great idea" but I am no where near a pencil and paper!! |
| Q. Do you use any computer programs to help with your designing? A. I wish!! I am one of the most computer illiterate people I know. I am afraid I use the old fashioned technology - a pencil, eraser, ruler and a light box. |
| Q. How long does it take for you to draw a design? A. There is no standard. Sometimes the design almost creates its self, other times I will work and work at something and end up scrapping all but some small piece, which then "creates the design". I doodle a lot when I am on the phone etc and that has been the source of a lot of inspiration. Sometimes something will "pop" out from that. I also find ideas in art or I will see a shape that "sparks" a idea. In short I never know when inspiration will "hit", I only know when it does. |
| Q. What is the best way for people to contact you in regards to having a design drawn for them? A. Please e-mail me. |
| Q. How does designing fit in with your family time?
A. They have been great about it. I am lucky as both my children are older now. They can (not that it thrills them) cook for themselves. So can their Dad!! I work full time as well so they have become positively skilled in domestic affairs! I budget my time as best I can to make sure I have time for "Family Stuff". |
| Q. Did you learn Irish dancing as a child? A. Oh MY!!! NO!!! I have two left feet and still haven't figured out where my children get their ability from!!! |
| Q. How many designs have you created (that have been used)? A. I have no idea! I can tell you that in the past year there are about 15 dresses that have been made by local dressmakers, plus designs I have sent to the UK and Australia and the US. I know of three more in our own dance studio that have used the free designs from my page on this site and have had contact with several other brave sewers who are in the process of making dresses using those designs. I have three more patterns being made up for the Nationals as well. I have only gone "public" with my designs in the last year. Before that I worked mainly with clients in our studio, friends, friend of friends etc. Basically it was word of mouth. |
| Q. What made you first decide to design a dress? A. My children!! They wanted something different. It started out innocent enough. We played with colours and fabric but soon that wasn't enough, they wanted whole patterns. I was very fortunate that the dress maker (then called Colours of Ireland) was able to take my drawings and transform them into the proper scale etc. I have learned a lot from Yvonne over the years. |
| Q. Under what circumstances do you feel you create your best designs (customer giving you free reign or minimal guidelines, knowing exactly what they want)? A. I like to work from ideas/concepts in my head best but the truth is that many of those come directly from conversations I have with clients! We get talking and a idea forms and viol la - a design is born! I want to have some input from the customer always, if it is a design they are ordering. I do sometimes have some designs on hand however and if they are appropriate, great. |
| Q. How do you find out what kind of design your customer wants--how can they best relate that to you? A. I really like to talk to the customer personally, if it's possible. I also like to talk to the dancer, even the very young ones. I like to get to know their preferences, tastes etc. Sometimes I will have some designs available for customers to critique and can get a sense of what might work for them that way. If It is not possible to speak directly with someone, I will start a e-mail dialogue with them and try and ask enough questions to make a start on the pattern. From there I enlist my more computer savvy daughter to help send pieces of the pattern for approval. |
| Q. Which country do you sell most designs to? A. I have a lot of designs being worn here in Canada. In particular, Rogha Rinceoiri (dressmaker) has done a number of costumes to date and their work is exceptional. I hope to see some of the other designs sent to other countries at the Nationals this year (Nashville). |
| Q. Are the buyers of your designs mostly professional dressmakers or home sewers? A. I sell my patterns directly to the customer for the most part. Most are made up by professional dressmakers. I have had the pleasure of working with a few home sewers this year as well. |
| Q. Have you any other hobbies? A. I also make and design beautiful crowns to match any Irish dance dresses. (see some pictures below of Kay's beautiful crowns). |
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| This dress was made using one of Kay's designs by Paddy Kelleher Designs (PKD). PKD can be contacted at sales@paddyk.com. © This dress is subject to copyright and is not to be copied. |
| Q. Do you have any funny stories to share? A. A few months ago I got a call from a dance grandmother from our studio. She is a accomplished dressmaker but had never made an Irish dress prior to one she had attempted for her granddaughter. She had been asked to do one for another dancer and the teacher had told her the only way she would approve this was if she contacted me and worked from one of my patterns. She was justifiably miffed!! But she did call me. We met and "hit it off". The customer had however found a pattern on the net that she insisted on using..... It turned out to be the diamond pattern I had submitted to this site!!! So all was well--- she ended up fulfilling the teachers request by accident or by devine intervention, however you look at it. |
| The designs Kay donated for the Featured Designer Page are low located on Kay's own page. Click here to visit. |
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| The proud Father! Thanks to Steph at Rince Pix for allowing us to use this picture! Click here to visit Rince Pix. |
| Kay's Assistant Odin. |
| The McKay Klan. |