Mabel & Co
Hand weaving
Contact
Near Orford
Suffolk
UK
IP12 2AJ
About
Katie and James work on a traditional treadle powered narrow loom, rescued from an abandoned croft on a Scottish island. After bringing it back to their studio, they spent years quietly refining their practice, restoring the loom and perfecting their designs.
All their yarns are un-dyed and they adopt the changing natural colours of the fleece into their textiles, making each piece unique.
The wool, which comes from British rare breed sheep, has tones that range from almost white, to a rich dark black-brown. The finished blankets have a wonderfully natural and organic appearance and feel.
Their designs are inspired by the coastal and heathland landscape around them, with work based on everything from marsh plants, to the historic built environment and traditional agricultural and maritime practices.
Preparing the yarns for weaving is one of the the most difficult and time consuming processes. Each of the 100s of threads need to be carefully wound and threaded through in the correct order to make the desired pattern, which can take three to four days.
The weft is then woven into this warp using a wooden shuttle, containing enough yarn for 4” of woven cloth. They then change over the shuttle and start weaving again.
Finally, after cold water fulling and drying, the blanket or quilt is hand stitched, with needle and woollen yarn, along the hems and middle seam, joining the two or three narrow widths of cloth into a traditional blanket. Their cushions are likewise hand stitched and filled with natural sheep's wool.
Their long journey and dedication to the finest natural materials has led them to create some of the most authentic and sustainable textiles crafted in Britain today.
Their work is available at their Seed Store gallery and from The New Craftmaker in Pimlico, London. Comissions are undertaken for both private and commercial clients.
The Seed Store is open every day from 9am to 5pm and the studio welcomes visitors to see the loom and print room Thursday to Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Mini craft gallery
