In association with tigh

Laurakn The Selvedge Christmas Fair is the place to find handmade gifts that will be treasured. Join us on 10 December 2011...

EMMA CASSI (see Issue 34) creates jewellery that mixes the ancient traditions of lace making and hand embroidery with a more modern aesthetic. Emma lives and work in South West London but she traces her love of lace to her roots in France and, like the craftspeople there, she works with an artisan's touch. Emma seeks out antique textiles and every item in her collection has bee n stitched, beaded and embroidered by hand with vintage sequins, Japanese glass beads, semi-precious stones, crystals, Swarovski crystals and gemstones, all of the highest quality. Her feminine designs have a timeless appeal – heirloom pieces that will never go out of fashion. www.emmacassi.com

PAPERPHINE Linda Thalmann is a self-confessed paper -lover. She promotes paper yarns and twines, not only because they are a sustainable resource – environmentally benign, made from European wood and easily recyclable – but also because they are elegant materials that offer endless possibilities to the “advanced artisan, the intrigued student and curious designer”. PaperPhine was founded in 2009 after years of experimenting and experiencing the qualities of paper yarns and twines. They offer formal and informal training in a wide variety of textile techniques as well as paper making and bookbinding. The always curious and passionate PaperPhines are constantly looking for new ways to use their material of choice. www.paperphine.com

QUINTON AND CHADWICK Jane Chadwick and Jess Quinton bonded as friends through a shared dislike for bland, cheaply produced knitwear. But while others would have merely moaned, they set about launching Quinton-Chadwick and producing British knitwear to love and keep. By doing so they help keep traditional knitting skills alive in their home communities, using small factories in Scotland and Nottingham as well as co-operatives of specialist knitters in Cornwall. For A/W 2011 the pair have put together a collection called “Haywire Heritage” – turning fairisles and hand-knit cables on their head with a humorous take on the traditional patterns. www.quinton-chadwick.co.uk

SALLY WEATHERILL studied art history and printed/woven textiles in the US before moving to the UK where she set up a studio in a picturesque village on the Suffolk/Essex border. There she designs and weaves fabrics for fashion and interior accessories that are distinctive in their construction and rich colour . Sally is fascinated by the complexities of texture, optical imagery and weave, yet her finished f abrics give the impression of effortless simplicity due to their harmonious balance. Sally’s fabrics are handmade in the UK in limited editions to preserve their individuality. Her current collection of woven work displays her love of colour and texture and is a result of m uch experimentation with high-twist yarns and the shrinking and felting of lambswool. www.sallyweatherill.co.uk