There is something unmistakable about true hand-embroidered crewel fabric.

Our fabrics are embroidered by teams of skilled artisans – each roll may have up to 6 people working on it any one time, each working with a different colour of yarn.

Each embroiderer has their own style, rhythm and tension on the thread, which can never be replicated by a machine.

Close up of crewel stitching

A machine will pull each stitch to the exact same level of tightness.

Fabrics embroidered by machine are beautiful – no doubt. But there is something personal about a piece of hand embroidered crewel.

We use the same skills which embroiderers have used since the 16th century to make our very distinctive, historical design.

Learn more about our embroidery process here

Some questions to consider

When choosing crewelwork fabric by the metre for curtains, blinds or upholstery, it’s worth considering how it has been made. Is the wool dyed by hand? Is the base cloth strong enough for interior use? Has the design been thoughtfully adapted for repeat and scale? Are the fibres 100% natural, using traditional cotton duck backcloth or linen, or even wool?

Fabric on the roll, available by the metre or yard

Lead times? Our crewel is in stock and ready to ship

Whilst we are happy to drive in the slow fashion lane, we do recognise that most people want their fabric without having to wait 6 months for it to be made, checked, washed, dried and transported.

That is why we aim to keep as many of our designs in stock as we possibly can.

When you place an order, your fabric will be shipped to you within the week using a 48-hour courier. If your curtain-maker is ready to go, you could have finished curtains within a fortnight!

Stockroom

Our stockroom isn’t currently open to visitors because it is just that – a stockroom in a converted barn that used to have hay mangers at each corner. Unfortunately, the space wasn’t ideally suited to keeping embroidered fabric for interiors, so we have created an insulated shell inside the barn, leaving the historical structure in place in case the custodians of the future want to return it to its original beauty.

The barn, before it became a stockroom

The stockroom…after

Colours

Our artisan crewel fabric embroidery wools and backcloths are dyed by hand. The colour of the cotton or linen backcloth is often dependent on the cotton or flax crop of that season, and whether the climate has been wet or dry. This makes a difference to how well the fabric takes up the dye. Whilst the industry standard allows for a slight tolerance in colour range, we prefer that you decide for yourself. Explore our crewelwork collection here

Beautiful hand embroidered fabrics kept in stock

Samples

When you place an order, you can be secure in the knowledge that you will receive a cutting from stock – a small piece of fabric cut from the exact roll of fabric that your order will be taken from. This means there are no nasty surprises when your fabric arrives.

Order a fabric sample here

Samples cut from stock, from the same roll as your fabric

Hand or machine?

Not all crewel fabric is embroidered by hand. Machine embroidery can offer detail and uniformity, but hand-embroidered crewelwork has texture and individual character that has developed through skilled craftsmanship. If provenance and artistry matter to your project, understanding how the embroidery is produced is essential.