Since my great aunt taught me to knit when I was 7, I have many years of knitting, sewing and crocheting experience, some producing my own designs. I love making bags because they give me the opportunity to try out stitches and shapes on something quick, small and easy to finish with interesting details. I have no formal training in textiles but an awareness of a wide range of products and techniques. I am delighted that I have survived to see the latest revival of textile crafts. I have recently been working to source natural and locally produced yarns. There are great yarns being produced in Herefordshire and the West Midlands as well as from expert Welsh producers. We live in a historically wool producing area and have many unique breeds of sheep, all producing wool with individual characteristics. A huge amount gets thrown away or destroyed at present. It is important that as much of the wool I use is from British producers. The larger suppliers are also experimenting with more environmentally friendly yarns, but there are also interesting yarns being imported from foreign wool producers and non-wool suppliers. There are developments in hand dyeing with non-damaging chemical dyes and with vegetable dyes, its a great time to be looking for consumer friendly products. I will provide as much detail about the yarns and links to the suppliers on the site when I can. On some bags I use recycled yarns, fabrics, buttons and trimmings, as well as old materials which have been discarded or unused. Some of these come to me from individuals and some from charity shops.
Who is Ledbury's Bag Lady?
