‘Weaving my new life’
Julie Leonard, 56, gave up her London career to revive a traditional Welsh craft – and she hasn’t looked back
How one woman returned to her roots to revive a traditional Welsh craft
‘I think about how lucky I am to be doing what I love for a living’
As commutes go, it’s hard to beat: every morning, I get up and head to my studio shop on the first floor of an old stone chapel, a three-minute walk from my home in the small market town of Hay-on-wye in Wales. There, colourful textiles hang from the walls and birds chatter in the eaves. Once I arrive, I sit at my sewing machine and create my ponchos, scarves and bags and think about how lucky I am to be doing what I love for a living.
Eleven years ago, my life looked completely different. I was living in London, working in fashion and advertising. It was glamorous but hectic, and I was beginning to feel like something was missing.
As a child growing up in Wales, I’d been quirky and creative, my family loving all types of craft. From a young age, I would go out and buy second-hand clothes, then customise them, and I was given my own sewing machine for my 21st birthday.
Even when I moved to London, I continued to enrol on courses to fuel my creative need, but I still missed my Welsh homeland. I felt a strong pull back towards the mountainous scenery and the satisfaction of working with my hands.
On one trip back to Hay-on-wye, I bought a gorgeous red cape in a vintage shop that reminded me of a poncho my nan had once made me. It was made from Welsh tapestry, two layers of cloth woven on a loom. Inspired, I went to visit some local mills, and when I realised that this amazing, traditional craft was now a dying art,
I was so saddened. It was intricate and beautiful. My mind was made up – I wanted to try to make something similar, to start a business and aid a struggling industry. I had a renewed sense of purpose.
A NEW START
In 2007, I sold my house in London and moved in with a friend, putting the money aside to help start my new business. I was going through a divorce and my son, Joe, had left for university. I wanted a change and, while I was out walking one day, it hit me: ‘I’m going back to Wales,’ I thought. The following week, I drove to Hay-on-wye and arranged to view a few properties. I looked at three houses – and decided to buy one of them. Just six weeks after signing the deeds, I moved in. To finance my life change, I continued to work in London, commuting back and forth and staying with friends. At the same time, I was making ponchos from the spare room in my new house. Friends called me ‘The Welsh Girl’. I realised it was the perfect name for my business.
For the next five years, I lived a double life. The highest cost was for the fabric; my start-up cost was around £15,000, financed by my London income and savings. Initially, The Welsh Girl ran on word of mouth, but in 2015, I gave up my
job and started working full-time on the business. I rented a nearby studio and converted a corner of it into a little shop, opening it up to customers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
An adult poncho costs £295, as the fabric is so expensive, but it’s a life investment. I also make ‘coler cwtch’ scarves (£58) from the excess material – a cwtch is a Welsh term for a loving, comforting hug, and it’s a sentiment I wanted to show through my work – plus cushions (from £48), tote and wristlet bags (from £78). And I take bespoke commissions for home furnishings and collaborations.
In 2017, I set up a website; I get a lot of interest through Instagram, too. I also took a stall at The Good Life Experience festival in north Wales and have won the Country Living
Kitchen Table Talent award, the prize for which was a stall at the magazine’s fair. The popularity of artisan shops and the revival of traditional industries is increasing, which works in my favour; last year, I broke even. I’m now able to employ two local ladies, Bronwen and Martha, who help with the sewing part time. It’s not about making lots of money, it’s more about the way of life. I’ve worked hard to reach where I am today and I’m thrilled with my success. This is the most at home I've ever felt doing something.
• For more info, visit thewelshgirl.com