01 Sep 2023
CUSTOM is a truly bespoke service for the design and production of tweeds and tartans and we offer this to both private and corporate clients. We have worked with brands like Fortnum & Mason and The Royal Scotsman train as well as The Balmoral Hotel. We aim to combine a personal approach, creative vision and the finest craftsmanship, our custom service helps clients create unique designs, taking their brief from concept to completion.
Our designs and textiles can be seen within hotels, estates, and private homes across the world. We often work closely with interior designers to produce custom cloth and soft furnishings for both commercial and domestic clients. We are adept at working within a brief to produce tartans and tweed designs that will tie together a scheme and provide a unique aesthetic for an interior.
Quality and versatility set us apart. Inspired by her Scottish heritage and her childhood amidst the riverbanks and heather clad hills of Royal Deeside, Araminta turned to weaving as a way of capturing Scotland in cloth. With her artist’s eye, natural creative instinct, and expertise not only in woven textiles but also Scottish cloth, Araminta’s designs are sought after around the world. With an unrivalled range of fabric weights and lengths as well as the potential for weaving luxury fibres and finishes, this coveted service allows clients to create a new legacy to pass on to future generations whether for a home or hotel.
Whether you’ve been inspired by the landscape, captured by your brand or family’s past, or want to mark or celebrate a special occasion, our custom service will translate your story into a beautiful design that will stand the test of time. Nowhere in the world makes tweeds and tartans like Scotland; celebrating centuries of expertise that have been passed down over the generations, all of our custom-made textiles are woven and finished in the country that inspired them. Using artisan mills, or handweaving in our Edinburgh atelier, we help keep the skilled craftsmanship alive.
Expertise with different fibres allows us to secure the finest possible materials for weaving your cloth. From British alpaca to hard wearing local wool and the finest cashmere, your project will be made from the highest quality British materials. Working with a selection of hand-picked suppliers, we can offer a multitude of options for manufacturing tweed and tartan; from the creation of cosy cashmere blankets or delicate silk and cashmere scarves to weaving lengths of wool fabric or creating carpets. Clients can transform their cloth into a variety of items of their choosing.
Fife Arms
Once a client like the Fife Arms has worked with us to develop a tweed and/ or tartan, the next stage is seeing how many wonderful ways we can use it.
With the Fife Arms once we had collaborated to weave their story, history and heritage into cloth and after using the textiles throughout the hotel in the interiors, we set about creating wonderful pieces for guests to buy – to take the essence of the Fife Arms home with them.
For these we work with a selection of hand-picked Scottish artisan mills with centuries of expertise, to create any number of finished products. Here are just some of the pieces we have helped create for the Fife Arms…
"*" indicates required fields
We are guardians of people’s stories...
We ourselves are stories that weave and take shape through the thread, thanks to the gentle hands of the weavers.
The yarn, the loom, our and your stories, are the tools we have chosen to make what cannot be seen or touched, real and wearable. We give shape to the values in which we believe, we give voice to stories to be shared with those dearest to us, forever.
Not just exquisite works of art to wear, but ambassadors, ‘talking’ objects, timeless storytellers of meanings and values that we want to preserve and pass on.
Meet Isabelle, one of our talented handweavers!
Isabelle has long had an interest in textiles, ever since her grandmother taught her to sew.
She discovered weaving when visiting universities before applying to study. Immediately captivated by the woven textile displays at Loughborough University – the home of our George Wood looms – She became fascinated by how these complex woven structures could be created from just a few cones of yarn.
Isabelle enjoys the slow, hands-on process of weaving, appreciating how it demands your full and present focus, and is always excited to share the complexities of handweaving to our visitors.
Meet Helen, one of our talented handweavers!
As an advocate for sustainability and ethical production, handweaving appealed to Helen as the embodiment of slow, responsible craft.
She fell in love with the challenging yet meditative weave process during her textile degree at the Glasgow School of Art.
Helen adores that she can name the alpacas in the pieces that she weaves, as this level of provenance imbues the pieces with deeper meaning for both weaver and future owner.
We choose 100% undyed British alpaca fiber for our designs because it embodies the values we hold dear: sustainability, durability, and unparalleled luxury. Each fleece is sourced from carefully chosen UK farms where animal welfare is a top priority.
Our close relationships with breeders enable us to trace many of our yarns back to the individual alpacas, ensuring exceptional quality and transparency. The alpaca’s fleeces are left undyed, allowing the natural richness and unique tones of their coats to shine through in every piece.
In the UK, only 5–10% of alpacas produce fleece of the exceptional quality we require. Every fiber is meticulously selected for its fineness, crimp, luster, and colour, ensuring our pieces meet the highest standards of luxury and craftsmanship.
It has taken years for our weavers to attain the skill and knowledge required to create our handwoven items.
Handweaving takes precision and patience, with each warp prepared by hand and meticulously threaded through the shafts of the loom. Once weaving is complete there is a lengthy finishing process involving darning, stitching, washing and brushing – all by hand.
It can take our handweavers anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks to complete one of our Signature pieces.
Each piece in our Heritage handwoven collection has been inspired by Araminta’s deep love for the natural beauty of the Scottish landscape.
From the golden glow of the beech woodlands surrounding her family home in the Royal Deeside Corridor during autumn, to the ethereal light of the Scottish Highlands at dawn and dusk, the landscape is a constant source of inspiration for Araminta. The shifting interplay of colours, textures, and natural rhythms informs each handwoven piece, translating fleeting moments into timeless design.
Any moment in time could become Araminta’s next creation.
Meet Lisa, one of our talented handweavers!
Lisa studied weaving at Heriot Watt University, in the borders of Scotland – an area renowned for its textile production.
She always enjoyed creating things and was recommended to study textiles by her art teacher. When first starting out in her weave degree, she found the slow process of setting up challenging, yet today it’s her favourite part.
She finds peace whilst threading the loom, enjoying and embracing the flow.
Each piece has been lovingly handwoven and finished in our Edinburgh Atelier by our team of handweavers on vintage George Wood looms.
Araminta Campbell is one of the largest employers of handweavers in Scotland, fostering employment for talented craftspeople in Scotland plays a vital role in preserving the rich legacy of Scottish textile craftsmanship. Every thread woven in the Atelier carries with it the heritage and passion of centuries-old traditions, brought vividly to life through contemporary designs, and the work of our talented weavers.
It has taken years for our weavers to attain the skill and knowledge required to create our handwoven items.
Handweaving takes precision and patience, with each warp prepared by hand and meticulously threaded through the shafts of the loom. Once weaving is complete there is a lengthy finishing process involving darning, stitching, washing and brushing – all by hand.
When you choose one of our handwoven treasures, you’re not just owning a piece of Scotland’s rich textile heritage – you’re connecting with the hands that brought it to life.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
"*" indicates required fields
