October is Wool Month, a time to spotlight creative companies championing the many credentials of this natural fibre for use in interior design
Wool is a hugely important and integral part of our heritage and has long been revered for its versatility, its soft, tactile and insulating qualities and of course its strength when woven into fabric. Its many uses in interior design are without doubt some of its finest, and it also boasts significant eco credentials, making it a valuable resource in every way. October is earmarked as Wool Month and is part of the Campaign for Wool, a global initiative launched in January 2010 by His Majesty King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales. Throughout the month over 200 supporters ranging from farmers, manufacturers, designers, brands, tailors and retailers around the UK will organise pop-up events, create limited-edition designs and launch special offers all aimed at promoting the many natural benefits of wool over synthetic fibres. Celebrate this wonderful resource and bring wool into the home in all sorts of ways, from upholstery and carpets, to blankets and bedding, and even miraculously manufactured into furniture.
Mourne Textiles(Blankets)
Mourne Textiles boasts illustrious design credentials from quite humble beginnings. When acclaimed Norwegian-born textile designer Gerd Bergersen married Englishman Archie Hay-Edie in 1944 the couple moved to Ireland, where in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, Gerd set up a workshop after failing to find a way of manufacturing her designs. Previously, during the couple’s travels in Asia, Gerd had learned to weave on local looms with hand-twisted yarns. In Ireland this would form the basis of her work, which soon attracted the attention of interior icons such as Robin Day and Sir Terence Conran. Today, Mourne Textiles enjoys working relationships with the likes of Carl Hansen and Margaret Howell. Gerd’s grandson, Mario Sierra, continues the legacy, ensuring the production of handwoven textiles from the same workshop and on some of the original looms into all sorts of highly desirable items, most notably the blankets and bed throws whose textures and colourways beautifully define the wild Irish landscape. Sumptuously soft weaves in shades of oatmeal, soft green and moss yellow are created from merino yarn, spun from a specialist fleece sourced from local rare-breed expert and sheep farmer Freda Magill. The company has an exceptionally small carbon footprint:
