Hudson Mohawk Weavers Guild Scottish Textiles Tour
Let's backtrack to May when we helped to organise a very memorable Scottish Textiles tour for the Hudson MoHawk Weavers Guild from New York State.
This tour of Scotland was originally planned for 2020 but, like so many other trips affected by the Covid pandemic, was rolled forward to 2021 and then to 2022 when overseas travel finally looked like a possibility. Cecilia Lockwood from Frittelli Lockwood Weavers and Nancy Sharples were our main points of contact and worked patiently with us and Destination Management Scotland while hotel and mill visits were repeatedly cancelled and rebooked from one year to the next.
It was quite a moment when we could finally welcome the group through our doors on 9 May 2022. None of us could quite believe they were finally here in person, what a joy it was to be together at last and meet face to face after years of planning!
The group were introduced to the work of the many makers we represent around the country and Edinburgh weaver Kristina Taylor entertained us with a talk about her plant dyed wools which she uses in her gorgeous hand woven rugs. A delicious lunch was had by all next door at Guariva Coffee Shop and from there it was on to Dovecot Studios for a tour of their tapestry studio and William Morris exhibition.
After 2 nights in Edinburgh the group embarked on a 10 night textiles tour of Scotland with their charming drivers Phil and Kenny from AE Chauffeurs who drove them around the country visiting Scottish mills and artisan weavers, as well as Heriot Watt School of Textiles.
With prearranged visits to independent Harris Tweed weavers in Lewis and Harris, the tour also featured the famous Callanish Stones, Blackhouse Weavers Village and of course Harris distillery to purchase their highly prized gin!
