Talk by Guild member Fiona Cumming
20 November 2022
At this meeting Fiona introduced us to the island of Harris in the Outer Hebrides – a landscape of contrasting colours and textures. Via an extensive set of slides Fiona explained the history of Harris Tweed, from the Murray clan’s tartan being used as the standard fabric for the Dunmore estate workers in 1846 to it’s popularisation in fashionable London circles. The certification of the tweed began in the early 20th century and in 1993 Harris tweed became a protected name.
Fiona talked us through the process of tweed production from raw wool to inspection and certification. She ended on the optimistic note that there are now nearly 200 weavers on Harris and Lewis and the fabric remains as popular as ever.
Fiona brought with here a large number of samples and books to help illustrate her talk and the group were very appreciative of the talk.
