Tweed that’s Made in England... and no, it’s not a yarn
Armed with a Harris loom, weaver sets up in Suffolk
IT is as Scottish as whisky, tartan and shortbread.
But, after a daring raid on the Isle of Harris, tweed is being assimilated into English culture.
Craftsman James Jenkins journeyed to the Outer Hebrides to acquire a traditional weaver’s loom from an abandoned croft.
He has painstakingly restored the old machine, acquired a warping mill, and is about to go into full production at his base, a former wheelwright’s, near Ipswich, Suffolk.
While most tweed is now manufactured mechanically, Mr Jenkins, 37, is intent on going back to basics by employing the traditional methods used by Scottish crofters.
He says his equipment, all of which is either treadle or hand-powered, is ecologically sound and also produces a finer and more luxurious material.
His workshop will house one of the only organic tweed-making operations in the world, trading under the name ‘Mable & Co’.
It has already drawn ‘significant interest’ from luxury tailors on London’s Savile Row, who are eagerly awaiting the first batch of tweed.
Many of them have already told Mr Jenkins they are keen to buy his product, which should be ready within six months.
Mr Jenkins said his greatest challenge had been restoring and renovating his old equipment because there is little information, or indeed parts, for it.
He said: ‘At the moment, we are restoring our textile equipment that we have rescued from all over the country.
‘Some of it is up to 100 years old and most hasn’t been used for at least 40 years, so is in a poor state of repair.
‘It’s about cleaning that rust off, fixing the seized and broken parts and getting them back working again.
‘It’s such a long process because we are doing everything by hand and really taking the time to make sure we do a good job.
‘Acquiring the machinery has also proved very difficult, such archaic machinery is nigh on impossible to get hold of and I’ve relied on a series of immensely lucky finds.
‘The learning curve has been incredibly steep. I thought I was embarking on a textiles project, but it’s turned out to be more of an engineering one.’
Mr Jenkins intends to use wool from organic Suffolk sheep and will not treat it with any chemicals or damaging dyes. He says these measures will help him to produce a higher quality tweed.
He said: ‘There is rarely any contradiction between sustainability and quality of craft.
‘It’s very important to me that our process is entirely organic, meaning I know exactly what goes in.
‘By working with our hands and localising the process we can not only create a unique aesthetic but we can also do something meaningful.
‘Most pieces of clothing have been around the world before ending up on the shelf, but our entire operation, other than the spinning, will be done from within Suffolk.
‘I think there is a renewed understanding of the value of handcrafted wear, which is why we have had such significant interest already.’