Tie Making from a Garden Shed

On the far right side of this photo (callumtoy.co.uk) you can see the front entrance to the garden shed that has been converted in to a tie-making studio on the border of Scotland...

A shed with a view of fields to the horizon.

Below, Frances sewing the lining in for a 'machine-made' tie using a special feeder on the machine to ensure it's stitched centrally. Marwood is developing the majority of its tie range as a hand-made product which will not involve this machine, however it is a good option for a more commercial price-friendly end of the range. Machine-made ties are not to be snubbed as long as the correct process is used, however the refined finish of a hand-finish is a definitely noticable and worth the extra pennies.Frances showing me her process on a sunny day in Berwickshire.

Discussing lining qualities for Marwood ties.

A couple of weeks ago Marwood made a journey on British Rail to Berwick-upon-Tweed to visit a tie-maker who will work on developing the perfect Marwood tie. We found out about Frances through a Welsh Mill (Cambrian) who pointed us in her direction and it was a pleasure to visit her unique set-up. Frances has made ties for the past 30 years and her company was a victim of the recession last year, so she downsized and decided to take a handful of clients and work on a more personal level from her back garden. It has proved a success and she has been busier than ever.

These photographs were taken by Callum Toy who shot everything on film (as he always does) and Marwood is happy to have his support and interest in recording the behind-the-scenes of Marwood Ties as they are being made and developed. Marwood met Callum through the silk mill Stephen Walters and has not looked back since. A fantastic collaboration that we hope to continue, particularly as this is a small part of a greater story that Toy will undertake concerning the documentation of the entire silk process.

To be continued...