Our historic and highly-respected D.C. Dalgliesh weaving mill really sets the standards for fine woolens and silks. And to help keep our fragile textiles industry alive we decided to become involved in a Scottish project designed to stimulate interest and involvement of school children in the tartan industry.

The John Gray Centre will open in 2012 in East Lothian, Scotland. It will house an exhibition on Scotland’s weaving industry, featuring lengths of tartan fabric to help illustrate the skill and expertise of past and present weavers.

The display tartans are being designed as part of a competition for children from local primary and secondary schools. Groups of pupils created their setts using Tartan Mill’s advanced design software, helped by retired weavers who were only too happy to share their skills and knowledge. The winning design will be chosen next month by an expert designer and will be woven and donated by D.C. Dalgliesh, ready for display next year when the heritage centre opens its doors.

We were delighted to help with the project and hope that the exhibition encourages others to appreciate the fine skills of Scotland’s traditional artisan industries. To find out more about the John Gray Centre go to: http://www.johngraycentre.org/site/