Whitchurch Silk Mill is looking for a Trainee Weaver who is keen to learn about making silk on their Victorian machinery. As a working museum they need someone with a practical hands on approach with a genuine interest in heritage and weaving silk on tappet and dobby looms. During this one year training post the trainee will learn how to wind, warp and weave and work in this  working museum in the heart of the Hampshire countryside.

The Trainee Weaver will receive

• a full time, paid placement £18,000 pa
• training in the operation of a Grade Two* listed Silk Mill, including winding, warping, weaving and the operation of a visitor attraction
• time to study
• work alongside the Senior Weaver, Mill Engineer and the Mill team
• learn about all aspects of silk production on our historic machinery
• develop skills, such as guiding and working in a visitor attraction

To apply, please complete the application form  and send with a covering letter to sue.tapliss@whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk by Monday 27th August 2018.

Please do not send portfolios / photographs
Closing Date: 5.00pm Monday 27th August 2018

Gainsborough Fine Weavers & Dye House are looking for a technically minded, creative weave designer who is eager to learn. As a historical weaving mill they need someone who has a genuine interest in the history of their company and in the extensive archive they have at Gainsborough.

The candidate should be intuitive and professional with an understanding of Jacquard weaving.

The Company
Founded in 1903, Gainsborough Fine Weavers & Dye House embodies over a century of British craftsmanship. The entire production process – from design, to hand-dyeing yarns, to weaving the finished fabrics – takes place on the site they have occupied since 1924. They received the Royal Warrant from HM The Queen in 1981.

Alongside their own collections, Gainsborough has long been the textile house for any interior designer seeking beautiful bespoke fabrics, from contemporary, geometric styles to the richest of damasks and pearl-embroidered silks, and their willingness to support creative craftspeople in their endeavours, remains a cornerstone of their offering.

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Bristol Weaving Mill

There are two jobs on offer:
Production & Sales Manager
Production Assistant

Job Role 1: Product Development and Sales Manager Start Date: June 2018
Location: Bristol, UK
Hours: Full time (9am to 6pm 40 hours per week)
Salary: TBC Depending on Experience
Bristol Weaving Mill are looking for a strong, creative and technically confident woven designer, ideally with product development and sales experience, to help them establish, nurture and maintain client relationships for The Bristol Weaving Mill through pro-active and responsive communication and design work.

Bristol Weaving Mill  work across both fashion and interiors, designing, developing and manufacturing product and fabric for a variety of outcomes. End uses include but are not limited to Ready to Wear and Couture Menswear and Womenswear, finished shawls and scarfs, interior drapery, tapestry panels, upholstery and finished interior soft accessories and product such as throws, blankets and cushions.

This job will involve working closely and strategically on sales, building upon the existing client relationships and establishing new ones. Each of their client relationships is based on offering a service catered to their individual needs, with most of their customers seeking not only the small-batch and locally managed production capabilities of the mill, but also looking to BWM to provide input and direction creatively, offering technical advice where necessary. Continue reading →

Location: Leith, Edinburgh
Salary: £20,000 per annum
Full-time contract for 12 months Start- May 2018
Closing date– 13th April 2018, 12 noon – Interviews- Early May

About the Company
Araminta Campbell Ltd is a luxury Scottish textile brand with three offerings.
Signature, an exclusive collection of one-off hand-woven fashion 
accessories made in the Edinburgh hand-weaving studio.
MINTA, a mill woven interiors range of cushions and throws.
Heritage, a bespoke service specialising in the design and manufacture of 
tweeds and tartans.

Araminta Campbell is a unique and exclusive brand with growing international audience. They are proud to represent Scottish Craftsmanship and keeping the art of hand-weaving alive.
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Stephen Walters are silk weavers designing and producing fabric for international luxury brands. We have built our reputation as design leaders working exclusively with fashion houses across the world. We are recruiting for the following position to join our highly regarded design team:

Vacancy: Textile Designer

We are offering a great opportunity for a Textile Designer to join our creative team. The work is extremely varied and covers a broad range of fabrics from men’s neckwear and apparel fabrics to contemporary womenswear and furnishings.

We are looking for a designer with good artistic ability and drawing skills, a sensitivity to colour, a diversity of styles and attention to detail. An understanding of CAD systems would be beneficial, but it is not essential as full training will be given to the successful applicant.

There will be a degree of admin required within the role therefore an ability to learn company specific systems as well as understanding of Microsoft Office would be useful. Our design team is currently made up of trained designers from a variety of disciplines not only woven fabrics.

We would like to hear from anyone who is qualified in a similar field and who demonstrates excellent team working skills.

Hours of work: 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday (40 hours)
Location: Sudbury, Suffolk
Salary: Depending on experience
Training : Full training will be provided

Closing date for applications:The position has been filled so please no more applications

A Handweave graduate/technician, or similar is required for a three week Ghana-based project.

Action Through Enterprise  is a charity that operates in the far north of Ghana.

The charity helps local entrepreneurs set up in business by providing micro grants to enable them to buy equipment and materials to start trading.

Amongst those that the charity has assisted are a number of weavers who produce traditional fabric to the local market.

The environment of northern Ghana is particularly harsh, made more so by climate change, and as a result the local weavers are finding it increasingly difficult to sell their wares.

A private UK company ‘Milou Textiles’ has now been created to employ the local weavers and market their produce in the European marketplace.

Milou Textiles will return 25% of all profits from sales to Action Through Enterprise.

Milou are looking for a UK based weaver with good technical knowledge of hand weaving processes to help the weavers to adapt their practices from using their present rudimentary looms to using wider floor looms.

The successful applicant will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Lawra in Upper West Ghana for two to three weeks in May or June 2018. For more information please contact Jonathan Hall of Milou Textiles. Vacancy Filled 16.1.2018 – please do not send applications in.

Text & images: Milou Textiles

Himatsingka Europe Ltd

New role: Sales & Product Development Assistant

Himatsingka Europe, Drapery & Upholstery Division
Himatsingka Europe, based in London, is the European sales and marketing office of the Himatsingka Drapery and Upholstery fabrics manufacturing facility, which is the largest of its kind in India, and a world leader for its class of products.

The operation is vertically integrated from pre-weaving yarn preparation to post-weaving finishing processes. The facility was built with a vision to produce Drapery and Upholstery products that epitomize cutting edge design and quality.

Over the years, its design and product development capabilities have paved the way to create products for the most recognized brands in the world. Continue reading →

Loughborough University: The School of the Arts, English and Drama is seeking a high-level, self-motivated Technical Tutor to provide high quality technical teaching, research and enterprise activities in Woven Textiles

Reporting to the Senior Technical Officer, staff at this level will be experienced specialists. They will use their knowledge and experience to complement a team of highly skilled staff in supporting Foundation, Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) Teaching, Research and Enterprise within the school.

Working from our specialist hub facilities which include weave and jacquard workshops, the role holder will enable students to develop the understanding, skills, confidence and expertise necessary to employ the appropriate technical elements required for developing and creating their professional practice work.

The post is full-time and fixed term to 31st July 2018.

Application closing date: 8 December 2017

For informal enquiries, contact Rachael Jermyn, R.Jermyn@lboro.ac.uk

Image & Text: Rosie Moorman. Courtesy of Loughborough University

Job: Sales and Design Assistant

Deadline: Currently open

Company Profile
Humphries Weaving is a leading British manufacturer of custom Jacquard fabrics, gaining an international reputation in weaving fine furnishings. With a varied portfolio of works we undertake client led projects for prestigious historical restorations, alongside the high end interior design market.

The Role
Humphries Weaving are looking to recruit a Sales and Design Assistant to join and support their small ambitious team. The role is diverse encompassing hand and computer design work as well as implementation of the company marketing strategy through social media and website activities. There is the opportunity to progress into managing your own client accounts and to grow relationships through customer liaison and site visits. Alongside this is office based administration related to these responsibilities and administration support for other team members.

The Candidate
The successful candidate will have a degree in woven textile design or similar and a minimum of 1 year relevant experience; designing for Jacquard fabrics would be advantageous. Sensitivity to colour and a keen interest in furnishing and/or historic textiles is desired.

With a professional attitude, the candidate must be able to confidently communicate with colleagues and clients alike. Knowledge of WordPress and social media or a willingness to learn would be an advantage.

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