For A/W20 I have created a collection of decorated berets that combines my interests in fabricand design, regional textile history as well as the repurposing of fabrics. So for this blog post, I thought I would write a little about the design concept behind my new winter collection of wool felt berets that I finished with Lochcarron Scotland tartan handmade flowers and petersham bows.

There is a choice of eight beret colours in the collection and for each one I’ve selected a co-ordinating Lochcarron of Scotland tartan to make the distressed rag rug flower. Every flower is  set on a petersham bow, each with a handmade button centre. The rag rug style flower I designed has been inspired my research of the local North East textile techniques known colloquially as Proggy, Clippy, or Rag Rugging, along with the application of my millinery skills. The tradition of making rag mats isn’t unique to the North East but the terms hooky and proggy are regional. In other areas they are known as clippy mats, proddy mats and peg rugs. Hooky and proggy rag mats were a common sight in working-class homes in the North East of England until the mid-20th Century. The mats were made from old hessian sacks and recycled fabric so they were an economical option in chilly draughty homes in a time before fitted carpets were the norm. You can see real-life examples of proggy and clippy mats in the room sets at Beamish – the NE’s open-air museum, near Stanley Co Durham – which tells the life of the region during the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s.

The tartan used to create the flowers was selected during one of my many visits to Lochcarron of Scotland, at their manufacturing unit based in the Borders at Selkirk. Selkirk is quite local to us here in N Northumberland, and I find visiting both the factory and the weavers’ shop itself up at Long Carron, to be a constant source of inspiration. Living so close to the border we are naturally drawn to Scottish traditions so I created the distressed tartan flower binding both aspects of my inspiration together. Please do take a look over in my accessories store at the other options (which include creating your very own custom styled beret) and do get in touch if you would like to know more about Clippy and Proggy! 

 

http://www.beamish.org.uk/

https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/

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