2011 is proving to be a fabulous year for British made fabrics. This year, I am using British Wool fabrics and Scottish Tweeds and Tartans. The orders just keep on coming! It seems that my designs in Harris Tweed for Peter James are even selling as far afield as Japan.

Earlier this year, I wrote ‘Made in Britian’ about the fabulous muted tweeds I had bought from Johnstons of Elgin. I have now had handbags, wallets and purses made in these fabrics and I’m looking forward to receiving my delivery any day. I will post photos as soon as they arrive!

Since then, I’ve found some more gorgeous tweeds and tartans at Lochcarron Mill in the Scottish Borders. I didn’t plan to go shopping there but I was in Selkirk to see a new customer and the sale banner outside the Mill shop was too enticing to ignore! Once inside the shop, I asked an assistant about the fabric sale and was whisked off to the design room to see an amazing array of different tartan & tweeds.

Here are just a few of my new tweeds for 2011.

I decided to choose these tweeds because they are quite colourful and so different from the traditional patterns I have worked with in the past. I’m sure they will make fabulous handbags and overnight bags too! One of the most exciting times in the design process is when I get to see a sample of my latest design made in a new cloth. I’m working on these now and hope to see the samples next week when I visit my factory.

Just writing this has inspired me to go off now to put pencil to paper again!