Wallace#Sewell Processes

(details provided by Wallace~Sewell)

Manufacturing

We use solely natural fibres in our scarves. These are a renewable resource and do not release micro plastics into the environment.

Our merino lambswool supplier has a policy to only buying 100% non-mulesed wool. Our supplier is also a members of Woolmark, who have signed up to RSPCA Best Practice Australia and UK in support of International Wool Textile organisation Working Document on animal freedoms.

Washing

We only recommend dry-cleaning our products, as the agitation of washing may alter the products’ finish.

However, if you do need to hand wash your smaller items, it is possible to do this using cold water and a gentle detergent. Heat and agitation cause wool to shrink or ‘felt’, so make sure you wash gently in cool water and never rub or wring the wool.

Use a specialised non-biological detergent that will help protect the natural oils in the wool. Never use fabric softener.

Wool as a fibre, keeps itself clean naturally, expelling odours through moisture control and is naturally stain and wrinkle resistant. It’s also naturally hypoallergenic and a great insulator (keeping you warm when it’s cold but releasing warmth when you’re hot), meaning that you shouldn’t need to wash your items as much as you may think. Airing is the best way to freshen up any lingering odours.

Reducing Waste

As textile designers we love fabrics and hate to see any going to waste. We work hard to minimise waste in our production process and endeavour to use our textile by-products in creative ways.

Our scarves are woven with a selvedge running down either side of the fabric. The selvedge stabilises the fabric while in loom and when it is washed. When processing the scarves, the selvedge is cut off; we use these as gift-wrapping and in our Ribbon Bundles.

We also use our surplus selvedges in our Handloom Weaving Kits, where you can create miniature works of art and experiment with weaving at home.

When weaving our products, there is always a short length of extra fabric woven at either end of the roll; this is to protect the scarves and throws during the finishing process when the fabric is washed.

When the fabric rolls return to the workroom to be processed by Andrea and her team at the mill, the additional fabric is cut off. We then repurpose this into our One-Off cushions and also include the surplus in our offcut fabric baga, which are perfect for craft projects at home.