Monday 7 June 2010

Hebridean Harris Tweed - Out on its own at last! - and buyers beware.....

A busy weekend!  Heard there was a display of Harris Tweed items at the Morvern Gallery, Barvas during the coming week so decided to create something using my new Sollas Bookbinding Box which Corinna made for me a while ago.  It's a gorgeous organic colour - Corinna created the paper especially for me and it was exactly what I wanted.


Then I took a length of Hebridean Harris Tweed and fringed each end to make a wrap or shawl.  Then I hurried down the road to our local felter for advice on how to decorate the new shawl.  She came up with a big box of different colours of wool and silk fibres and I picked some that would co-ordinate with the box colours.


After an inordinate period of time spent hunched over a foam pad wielding several felting needles I finally achieved a satisfactory result which looks a bit like it's painted on when you see it from a distance.  After tidying up the back and giving it a good press I took the photos.  Today it is in Stornoway.


The weather was so lovely today that when I hung the dyed silk out in front of the shed it looked so bright and shiny that I couldn't resist taking a photo.

I also have a hanging basket with a petunia and several verbena in it - no pictures until I know it isn't going to keel over and die....

10pm.
Hey, I've just found an item on E-bay entitled  "Genuine Hebridean Harris Tweed Scarf." 
My Genuine Hebridean Harris Tweed can easily be identified because it will always bear the "Scalpay Linen" sew on label, and also the special "Totally Harris Tweed... Distinctively Hebridean" swing ticket.  It's also solid dark brown.  So buyers beware - there is only one supplier of Genuine Hebridean Harris Tweed just now, and you're reading her blog right now!


6 comments:

Min said...

Lovely to see the needle felted wrap. The colour looks good against the grey. I picked some weld yesterday and am thinking of dyeing a skein of dark Jacob blended with white Shetland I've just plied to see what happens.

Unknown said...

Sheila your wrap is just gorgeous! Welcome to the world of felting! Can't wait to see more T x

Joanne B Kaar said...

Where in Stornoway is your lovely wrap?? I'll be back in Lewis on the 20th June.

Scalpay Linen said...

Thanks for the positive comments folks. What do you use to mordant the weld Min? Tracy left me some after her visit and I'd like to use it but am not quite sure how to go about it.....
Hi Tracy, thanks for you welcome to Planet Felting. I'm not sure if I will be a permanent resident, but it sure did me a favour when I wanted to decorate my wrap!
The wrap is in Morvern Gallery today. We're going to pick it up and bring it home tomorrow, and also see your exhibition Joanne. Lots of our visitors have already seen and enjoyed the exhibition, and they are all loving signing the visitor book! I'm going to get Corinna at Sollas to make a lovely cover for it.

Min said...

Sheila, weld can be used without a mordant....just pour boiling water over the broken up stems and let it stew, strain and dunk your yarn then take it out when it's the colour you want. A stronger yellow (in your face lemon) can be obtained by mordanting first with alum and cream of tartar.
E-mail me if you want further details.

Nina said...

Sheila that wrap is just lovely....