THE ROOBEDO
DRESSING GOWN
It takes 4 metres to produce a Roobedo Dressing gown in Harris tweed. I wash it several times to shrink and felt the weave still further. This is a completely original & unique process I started in 2005 with the backing of the Edinburgh Visual Arts & Crafts Artists Award. This grant helped me to development my work with Harris Tweed and this resulted in my solo exhibition ‘For the Islands I Sew’ (July – Sept 2005) in the Great Bernera Community Centre on the Isle of Lewis, which featured wall hangings and kelp inspired boas. Later that year, I produced the first Roobedo dressing gown using the process I had explored, and it has gone on to be one of my most popular lines today.
LAYING,
MARKING
& CUTTING…
I start work on the floor as my table just isn’t big enough! The dressing gown comes in three sizes for men and women. See more…
The pattern consists of front panels with integrated roll collar, back panels, patch pockets, belt, hanging loop and belt loops. Ten cut pieces in all and finished off with the Harris tweed label and careful hand stitch in Harris tweed yarn.
HAND STITCH DETAIL
Blanket stitch around the pockets
and running stitch to pick out the details of the hanging loop.
Always a peaceful, methodical final process in a beautiful
contrast colour yarn such as red, teal or cream.
The weather forecast seems fitting for this cosy wrap-around layer!
It takes me 4 hours to make a dressing gown, from start to finish,
with hand stitched detail completing the piece.
MINIMAL WASTE
After cutting, all scraps are kept, and this is how the Roobedo accessories range was started, re-purposing all my scraps.
I was recently commissioned to make table settings in Harris tweed for a wedding – one of the many things made from off-cuts!
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