Claire and her loom will be at ‘Introduced…’ in Kings Road in St Leonards this week.

Whelan’s Weaving pops up in Kings Road

The ‘Introduced…’ shop in Kings Road, St Leonards is a showcase for different craftspeople and artists to share their work in a commercial space. Last Wednesday, Claire Whelan set up her loom and she welcomes passers by to come in to watch her weave and maybe commission a Christmas scarf. Erica Smith dropped by to learn about the warp and the weft.

Claire demonstrating how to wind a bobbin.

Claire has been weaving for 20 years. She has worked as a consultant for interior design companies and is an experienced teacher, but her passion is working at her loom. She is so enthusiastic about her craft that it is hard to imagine her doing anything else.

The table handloom that she has installed in Kings Road is 100 years old and she uses it to produce beautiful contemporary woollen scarves. It is lovely to listen to her use the vocabulary of her trade – the eight shaft loom, the heddles and bobbins and the yarn windings. She loves the boundaries of weaving on a hand loom – the structure of the loom and limitations of the production method challenge her to think creatively.

“If I am asked to take on a commission for a scarf for someone, I ask for three photos of the person the scarf is for, ideally in their winter coat or winter clothes, and I work out some possible colour palettes for the customer to choose from. My designs are gender neutral, but I like the scarves to reflect the character and colouring of the client.”

Some of the yarn windings Claire makes to explore colour palettes and patterns before setting up her loom to weave a scarf.

Close up of a finished scarf.

A bespoke scarf costs £185 – which may seem a lot but it will take a day and a half to weave. That works out at an hourly rate of £15 or so plus the cost of the material. Claire only ever uses wool.

On the wall behind her loom are a series of collages made with graph paper and collage. Many of them feature brutalist architecture. She smiles and explains “I think there is a real relationship between weaving and architecture. I’m fascinated by brutalist architecture like the Barbican. I love the ordered, repetitive pattern-making, and the monochrome colour palette. My graph paper collages definitely inform my woven designs.”

Claire will be in ‘Introduced…’ from Wednesday 27 through to Sunday 1 December. She would be delighted to talk to you about her work and answer your questions about weaving. The shop will be open from 10am–5pm every day.
‘Introduced …’ is at 5 Kings Road, St Leonards-on-Sea.
You can also see Claire’s work at: whelansweaving.com and on Instagram.

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