I’ve opened a new shop! It’s called Ruff and sells quilted scarves, all of which are handmade by me in my new home studio in Edinburgh.
The scarves are made from beautifully soft linen (from the best of the best, Merchant & Mills) and are incredibly cosy to wear. The first batch of scarves is available now and some new designs will be joining them later this month.
Here’s a look at the making process, featuring some previews of the second batch of scarves:
So far each scarf is unique (though popular designs may be repeated in the future) and use a combination of traditional and modern patchwork designs. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while you might spot some familiar designs in new scarf form.
Compared to making a full quilt these scarves come together thrillingly quickly (each one takes about two days to make) and it’s been very satisfying to get to get in the flow of trying out different designs and colour combinations to create each collection.
The linen used is not only beautifully textured and lovely to wear, it is also the most eco-friendly fabric available (it uses far fewer rescources to produce than cotton), and every last scrap of it is made use of in the making process. I love the resourcefulness that patchworking inspires - and that it is a craft with both endless possibilities and strict restrictions that you must work within.
When the patchwork is completed it is quilted with a layer of cotton wadding and a linen backing, and then a strip of binding is added to the edges and hand stitched to the back of the scarf to finish.
Once finished each scarf is also machine washed and tumble dried, so you can feel confidant about caring for it yourself if you drop it in a puddle or your dog decides to walk all over it.
Along with selling the scarves themselves I’m wondering if people would be interested in PDF sewing instructions on how to make your own scarf (probably of the above ‘pasta scarf’ design). What do you think?
If you’d like a closer look at the first collection of scarves please head over to www.rufftextiles.com, and if you’re on Instagram you can follow Ruff here.
Thank you for reading and subscribing to Patchwork, I appreciate it so much!
delightful, Eleni! I was never interested in patchworking with solids until I started working with linen (my fave is Ray Stitch's European washed but I should try M&M), it's just so lovely and ages so well and I love how it sort of looks like velvet when light hits it