UKFT member S Dawes Weaving has a long heritage and tradition of weaving high-end fabrics and working with companies all over the world to make its ideas come to life into beautiful bespoke cloth. The company’s flexible modern approach means it can translate any ideas, images, or briefs into beautiful fabrics.

Having both Dornier and Jacquard looms, plus in-house warping, means total flexibility in production sizes, sampling, design, and construction. Versatility is key to this company. S Dawes Weaving co-works with companies small and large, covering large multinational companies, high street retailers, online retailers, designers, to smaller one-off commissions.

All fabrics are woven at the mill in Lancashire in the UK where the experienced, skilled, and dedicated staff help guide customers through their weaving journey. In-house design facilities and two fully trained and experienced CAD designers make the process of translating design into weave conversion plans in a seamless process.

The production is enhanced and complimented by the installation of the latest LUWA air conditioning and dust extraction system, which not only has a direct impact on quality but also has the advantage of significantly improving the working environment. Using the combined experience of the S Dawes Weaving team and the automated inspection facility, the quality control procedures adopted by the company, which embrace every stage of production from the sourcing of yarns, through to despatch of fabrics, ensure the high-quality product their customers demand.

A variety of qualities, constructions, and yarns can be woven, including Cotton, Linen, Viscose Linen, Poly Cotton, Silk, and  Wool. Over the last two years following a surge in demand for home furnishings and natural fibres, the linen weaving inside the Mill has boomed, weaving for print-based designers and home furnishing customers.

Jacquard fabrics have always been a specialty and with 10 Jacquard looms, including three single-end repeats, the Mill has the capability to produce some of the most stunning fabrics in the world, going into high-end interior design shops around the globe. Some of the most iconic British designs such as William Morris tapestries are woven in this Mill.

Sustainability and the environment are always at the forefront of production and great emphasis is put on being respectful of the planet’s limited resources. They use sustainable and recycled cotton wherever possible, and have developed 100% recycled fabrics made from landfill plastic bottles and cotton textile waste. Other fabrics weave in naturally sustainable crops such as Linen and use sustainably produced Viscose. The team is always looking to work with new yarns as they become available and these have included Bamboo, Hemp, Nettles, and many more. Trade shows are regularly visited to keep on top of new yarns, new machinery, and design innovation.

The company has a proud heritage and tradition in textiles having been woven in Lancashire since 1902 but is also dedicated to moving forward and looking to embrace new technologies, yarns, and techniques to keep alive the very special skills and fabrics as they weave for the future.

New for 2022 they have an updated website, explaining more about what they do, what they have invested in, and goals for the future. They have also been active in weaving blankets this year for the Ukrainian Crisis, for which they donated all spare yarn and wove it into blankets to help people in need keep warm. With the help of a charity, all the blankets were driven directly to the border of Poland and Ukraine and distributed on the ground to the people of Ukraine.

VISIT THE S DAWES WEAVING WEBSITE 

S Dawes Weaving is a UKFT member. Interested in UKFT membership? Find out more here.