Bench collaboration with Rebecca Connolly for Cambrian Wool

In addition to the Inside Out Chair I made for the Cambrian Wool Exhibition, I was asked to collaborate with handweaver Rebecca Connolly to use the fabric she would weave for the same project. After I'd seen her work I was delighted to accept and she asked me if we could make a simple bench to showcase her fabric. And here it is:

Rebecca was supplied the wool undyed by Cambrian Wool and sent on to Triskelion Yarn for dying. The colours were inspired by the domestic architecture in Reykjavik and the pattern inspired by traditional Icelandic folklore symbols. I loved this idea because it echoes the motifs found in traditional geometric Welsh wool patterns that I love to use in my work.

Rebecca wove the upholstery weight cloth on a traditional 8 shaft counter march floor loom.

The red section was designed specifically to form the front edge of the bench, giving it a deliberately non-symmetrical design.

For my part, I wanted to use waste materials from my business to make the bench, so a plywood offcut was reinforced with a hardwood beam on the base. I added some screw-in legs prised from a 1950's chest of drawers in a skip.

I then cut and stuck together waste foam offcuts from other projects for the seat. For this I use my trusty 1970's electric carving knife.

Here's the non-red side.

We're both very happy with the result so you're probably going to be seeing a few more of these on these pages in future.

For the time being you can see the bench among lots of other itmes at the Cambrian Wool Challenge Exhibition, stopping at Hay Festival, The London Welsh Centre, Llandovery Sheep Festival, Made by Hand Wales and Wonderwool Wales.