The Hiraeth project

Upcycled Welsh tapestry blankets: the Hiraeth project

Hiraeth is a Welsh word with no exact translation into English. Less prosaic than the English 'homesickness’, it conveys the idea of a longing for something or somewhere that perhaps never existed - a memory of childhood, of people and places lost, of that thing that you long to return to but never can. For me that place is the North Wales of my childhood holidays; the Welsh-speaking voices of friends and relations, the castles and the mountains and fascinatingly kitsch 1970s souvenir shops, full of love spoons, tapestry purses and endless trinkets made of slate.

For this project I am using fabric from my collection of vintage Welsh tapestry pieces, famous for their bold colours and dramatic patterns. Many of these blankets and fragments are well over 50 years old and naturally show the wear and tear of age. Some areas are whole or can be invisibly mended but part of this project is also looking for interesting ways to rescue the most worn and damaged parts of each blanket, using the age-old techniques of darning and patchwork appliqué.

What is Welsh tapestry?
Welsh double-cloth or ‘tapestry’ blankets are unique to Wales. They are not technically tapestry, but are two layers of cloth woven together with the geometric pattern of one side repeated on the other, in reverse colour. The wool was originally dyed with natural dyes, but as fashions and techniques changed they became available in a wide range of colour combinations. Each woollen mill had their own pattern designs and the blankets were often given to celebrate marriage and became treasured family heirlooms.