A GALASHIELS knitwear designer has opened a new studio in the town.
After working from home for more than a decade, Flora Collingwood-Norris has moved into an office at Heatheryett cemetery.
And she has done it up to be a bright design studio.
Flora said: “It’s a little bit odd in terms of location, but actually it’s a nice size for me.
“It means should any customers wish to see where I work, that now they can.
“It’s going to be a really nice opportunity for people to see in person where things are made and get that very direct connection with their clothing and who made it.”
Items are made in small batches and each piece of knitwear comes with a swing tag with the name of the maker, so customers know who has made each item giving items a personal touch.
Collections are inspired by Scottish landscapes including the Eildon Scarf inspired by the Eildon Hills and the textile heritage of the area has an influence on the business.
Flora added: “I think that the wealth of knowledge that we have in this area is really key, I want to be part of maintaining the textile industry here, even if it’s in a very small way.
“I’m never going to a Barrie or Hawico but I am still using the traditional machinery and I am still putting in that process and that quality and making the most of the soft water we have here.
“I really want to be part of maintaining a bit of the textile history and the heritage here.”
Sustainability is at the heart of the business, with the aim of reducing textile waste by helping people revive their knitwear and avoid clothing ending up in landfill.
Collingwood-Norris specialises in visible mending, the process of repairing textiles with visible patterns, she has written a book on the subject, teaches workshops and produces mending kits.
She first started darning and visible mending when her puppy started chewing on sleeves and found a fondness for the method.
Flora said: “I just fell in love with the process. I find it endlessly creative. I really liked that I could essentially customise my clothes, make them unique to me, fix them at the same time and start wearing them again.
“Any clothes, whether you bought them from Primark or you bought them from Chanel, if you love them and you wear them, they’re worth repairing and looking after.”
The designer ran a series of sold-out in-person darning workshops for beginners at the Little Art Hub with people coming from afar to do classes.
The next in-person workshop is in January with Zoom classes available next month.
For more information on Collingwood-Norris knitwear and darning classes, visit: www.collingwoodnorrisdesign.com
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