A South Ayrshire textile designer and weaver is set to branch out into a new range of products - using wool from her own flock of sheep.

Weaving together local materials, makers, creativity and sustainability, Lynn-Sayers McHattie of Field to Fabrics is using £15,602 of National Lottery funds through the latest round of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund awards to innovate the art of weaving. 

Lynn breeds her own flock of native Shetland sheep near Maybole.

Her home-grown approach, with Scotland’s landscape and eco-consciousness at the heart of it, will be used to produce a limited-edition range of Shetland wool throws and rugs.  

Lynn said: “I specialise in breeding Shetland sheep and weaving with the natural palette of wool from these native breeds.

"I’m interested in craft as a form of advocacy and activism that embodies consciousness, consideration and care. 

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"I’m inspired by the possibilities of a new ‘field to fabric’ aesthetic, which emphasises the subtle nuances of texture and tactility, unique within hand crafted processes - created both individually and in collaboration - with other makers.”  

“Scottish provenance is a central tenet of my philosophy, which encompasses a circular approach - within a 50-mile radius - contributing to the responsibility and sustainability of contemporary craft approaches. 

"Creating fabrics that are honed by the hand and created in concert with nature, which impart the natural qualities and sensibilities of the local landscape, culture and terrain.”  

Field to Fabrics is one of 44 funding awards from The National Lottery made by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund in August 2023, totalling £897,099. 

The full list of Open Fund recipients in this round is available on Creative Scotland’s website. 

Commenting on the latest awards, Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland, said: “Creativity is woven into the fabric of Scotland’s physical and social landscape, whether it’s our agriculture, our heritage or our communities. 

"These projects demonstrate the wide variety of activity constantly being supported by National Lottery players through our Open Fund, tied together through the threads of Scottish culture.”