Weavers
Combining traditional weaving techniques and a deep understanding of antique textiles with the latest loom technology, the weavers with whom Soane works beautifully recreate the feel and quality of the originals on which they are based.
The Suffolk town of Sudbury is renowned for its silk weaving, with a legacy of excellence that stretches back to the eighteenth century. Soane works with with a 300-year-old family mill in the town, home to an exceptional, innovative team. The intricate weaving process, which requires the varied skills of yarn operatives, warpers, weavers, tacklers and inspectors, begins with the selection of the best yarns for the warp and weft and finishes with an inspection of every inch of the newly woven cloth.
Since the development of the first Soane fabric over a decade ago, a collaborative relationship with this community of specialist makers has been integral to the design process.
As we work on the development of a fabric, our favourite element is the important trialing process where we experiment with colour, design, texture and construction; this enables us to decide upon the desired weight, tone and lustre of the cloth. Custom colours are selected either by matching a hue in an antique textile, or, more typically, painting watercolours to create the optimum shade.
Designed as a ‘plain’, the weave structure of Old Flax replicates the inherent variation and interest of a small bolt of slubby eighteenth-century silk and flax weave, the colour of palest primrose.
Old Flax uses two or three colours, some very similarly shaded for a muted look, while others have a higher contrast for a sense of greater depth.
Whilst the handmade nature of all of our weaves is what makes each design individual, it also means that variances between batches are inevitable. A final, strict inspection of every inch of the newly woven cloth ensures that it maintains the texture and quality of the original.
The fine threads and superb weaving techniques produce a tightly woven fabric that is wonderfully textural, soft to the touch and drapes beautifully.
Old Flax is made from the fibres of the flax plant, which grows widely in Europe’s mild climates. Flax is considered to have a lower environmental impact than cotton, as it requires less water and fewer chemical inputs.
