Land to Loom
Land to Loom is an ongoing Textile project exploring the journey of locally grown wool, from the sheep on the farm where I live on the edge of Exmoor, through to finished woven textiles.
The project began with a desire to understand and make use of the material that was already around me. The wool comes directly from the farm, creating a unique connection between the landscape, the animals and the textiles I make. Rather than treating wool as simply a raw material, Land to Loom follows its journey through every stage of production, keeping the process as local and transparent as possible.
The fleece has been professionally processed and spun at Rampisham Hill Mill in the South West. From my 13kg of raw fleece, the mill produced a 4-ply semi-worsted yarn. The resulting yarn has its own distinct character and lends itself particularly well to interior textiles.
Once back in my studio, I began naturally dyeing the yarn using plants grown in my garden and gathered from the surrounding landscape. The colours are developed slowly through experimentation, allowing the natural variations within the wool and dye plants to become part of the finished work.
The yarn will then be handwoven in my studio, combining contemporary textile design with traditional weaving techniques.
Land to Loom is also a response to the wider challenges facing British wool. Despite its quality and heritage, much British wool has little financial value to the farmers who produce it, and significant quantities go unused. By taking locally produced fleece and transforming it into high-quality textiles, the project aims to demonstrate the potential and value of this material while celebrating the people, landscape and traditional skills connected to it.
Land to Loom is an attempt to reconnect the finished textile with where it came from, the land, the animals and the people who have played a part in its journey.
The project is ongoing, with a collection of woven pieces being developed throughout the year. I am documenting the process as it evolves, sharing the discoveries, challenges and decisions along the way, with the intention of eventually presenting the work as a collection through an exhibition or online showcase.
From land, to fleece, to yarn, to cloth. Land to Loom is a celebration of what can be created when we look more closely at the materials and resources on our own doorstep.
Follow jessica.cutler.textiles on socails to follow the journey.
