It was always going to be a challenge to fill the whole of the West Wing (of Somerset House that is, not the White House). The space has been beautifully designed by the the Campaign for Wool and highlights the many commercial applications for wool. It’s said that farmers find it more expensive to have their sheep shorn (is that a verb?) than the price they can get for the fleece, so anything that can be done to encourage use of this queen of yarns has to be a good thing.
Wool is shown here being used for some technologically advanced reflective cloth from Dashing Tweeds , with a matching pair of Converse trainers, for cycling.
Apart from a little tailoring most of the rooms were given over to high-end interior design. The elegantly proportioned rooms of Somerset House being dressed by big names like Ashley Hicks and Fox Linton Associates. The room by Kit Kemp featured an upholstered sofa with delightful blanket stitch details and Donna Wilson produced an effortlessly whimsical nursery.
A highlight is the more contemporary room by Josephine Ryan. This room includes a montage of sheep paintings by artists in residence at the Irish Cill Rialaig Project as well as some rare antiques and a settle fit to settle down on.
The Campaign for Wool has excelled itself in keeping the artisan side of the project lively. The day I visited there were two spinners demonstrating from the Lewes branch of the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and dyers. Plenty of lovely yarns
were on display, though it wasn’t clear if these were just for show, or if punters were allowed to have a go. Similarly the weaver Jason Collingwood was practicing his craft next door. Demonstrations are great, though many of us have seen other people doing these things before. The real thing is to get people to have a go themselves and get their hands on the material itself. There is full list of events for the short time that the show is up, so hopefully plenty of scope for a little hands-on experience. It’s through getting stuck-in that people will begin to appreciate the nature of wool and what it can do, turning them into better informed customers for the industry. For more info visit www.campaignforwool.org/wool-house
Tapestry humming birds designed by Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company
