New items for the collection

It seems a little while since we added anything to the studio collection of textiles and garments.

The tweed research project is taking up a fair amount of time and I am having wonderful conversations with people who have been involved in the industry for decades. Next week I am going to meet a weaver and family who worked in one of the smaller tweed mills in the north of Mainland Shetland, and the following week I get to spend some time with the inimitable Oliver who knows anything there is to know about Shetland sheep and wool. But along with those interviews and chats I have been collecting tweeds, fabrics and garments, and this week a lovely small woman's jacket came into the collection. It is labelled as Shetland wool and has a handwritten label from the seller which states that it is 1950/ 60's. It is in a green/ cream/ black combination woven in singles yarn as a 2/2 twill which gives it that distinctive patterning (see picture right. Apologies for the difference in the colour of the whole jacket and the detail - the detailed picture is more accurate a representation.) A good addition to the project and collection. 

The second piece to come into the collection is a tourist piece from Africa. It was bought on eBay and sent from Portugal but I think it may be West African. If anyone has any information about where it could be from I would be very interested. The cloth is strip-woven, bound together and then printed and it looks like mud-printed textile that are already in the collection. 

Although the collection is now packed in boxes visitors are welcome to come in and have a look at what we have. Please give us some prior warning so that we can get pieces out! You can email globalyell@btconnect.com or call on 01957 744 355.