My Story
A textile artist, I spin, dye, knit by hand and weave the stories and magic of the wild places into one of a kind, wearable art.
My ‘paints’ are my handspun, dyed and undyed rare breed and heritage British breed specific lambswool, silks and sustainable natural fibres.
Colours and textures, misty mystical moods and landscapes, granite tors, heather and streams, huge skies and glorious sunsets. Endless horizons across moor, river and the sea. Living and working on high Dartmoor, I am surrounded by a constantly changing source of wonder and inspiration.
Entirely handmade, timeless slow fashion and contemporary artisan home textiles. One off handspun hand knitted sweaters and hats, handwoven scarves, throws, cushions, bags and accessories.
Slow artisan textiles handmade with traditional spinning wheels, knitting needles and weaving looms. Individual pieces made to last and eventually biodegrade to replenish the soil. Circular, with no waste.
Commissions are welcome, please email me on shelaghbrown@gmail.com to talk about your individual project and colours.
Provenance is hugely important to me, I source British breeds lambswool and sustainable natural fibres as locally as possible. These are washed, processed, carded, dyed and blended in my Dartmoor studio and spun by hand on my spinning wheels. I often use small quantities of beautiful end of line lambswool in my weaving from small local traditional British wool mills to reduce waste into landfill.
British wool is a precious resource. Sixty four separate breeds of British sheep produce fleeces with a wide variety of softness and strength. Pure wool is perfect for high end knitwear, woven fabrics and carpets. Wool was a major source of Britain’s historical wealth. Now we wear synthetic materials quickly discarded into landfill, and farmers are forced to destroy previously valuable fleeces as they are not paid enough to transport them to be processed. Wool is beautifully warm in winter, cool in summer, fire resistant, biodegradable, circular as replenishes the soil, naturally good for the planet, and makes wonderful mulch and home insulation. Sheep need haircuts for health and hygiene as we do, shearing is very important for them.
There is a growing groundswell of informed consumers, conservation sheep farmers and dedicated small holders who cherish their animals and are bringing value back into rare breed and heritage wool… and designer makers who create unique artisan garments and beautiful home textiles intended to be treasured and last a lifetime. I am one of them.
I had a gallery in Zambia for many years. My passion for all kinds of textiles grew. It was a privilege to represent so many enormously talented makers and artists of the region.
Stockists :
Me and East, Totnes
Artisan, Chagford
MAKE Southwest, Bovey Tracey
Greenhill Arts, Moretonhampstead
Exhibitions :
Craft Festival Cheltenham 2024
Wonderworks 2023
Crux Craft Fair 2023
Nourish Festival 2023, Bovey Tracey
Contemporary Craft Festival Bovey Tracey 2023
Handmade Oxford The Contemporary Craft Festival 2022 Curated by Dan Goode
Drawn to the Valley Exhibitions and Open Studios
Greenhill Arts, Moretonhampstead
Studio Nine in Totnes
Member :
MAKE Southwest
Green Makers Initiative
Crafts Council Directory
Drawn to the Valley Artists
Heritage Crafts Association
Creative Textiles Southwest
The Slow Living Guide Directory
Press :Seen in Tatler 
