A new update to our most popular Milnsbridge bag – Ethel – came about as part of our continuing focus on working with our existing stocks of fabrics and yarns in new ways, to take our work in different directions.
This playful approach led to the development of a thickly quilted interpretation of our Milnsbridge cloth – which we have used for the statement pocket on the front of the bag. Layering the cloth and working into the yarns exposes a solid block of colour that creates a striking contrast to the rest of the bag.
Our Ethel bags are named after one of our ancestors who worked in a woollen mill in Ossett West Yorkshire during the 19th century. Ethel would have spent her time sorting rags into different compositions and grades ready to be recycled and reprocessed into new materials.
Our Milnsbridge cloth is woven locally from yarns that we source from Yorkshire based mills and merchants. The yarns are mostly left overs from large commercial orders and as such can be very odd, small quantities. These are very difficult to use on a commercial scale, but perfect for small makers like our-selves. We like to think of this as our own small way of recycling, just like Ethel sorting through rags in the mills.
Read more about the making our of Milnsbridge cloth here.
Our Ethel is neat bag - perfectly sized to hold a small amount of shopping whilst out and about without getting too heavy. Surprisingly lightweight for a woollen bag, Ethel is a great companion on a day out or trip to the shops.
Available in a variety of weaves and colours, our Milnsbridge bags all have our signature bound handles. We stuff the handles with off-cuts of Milnsbridge cloth and then bind them by hand using the same yarns we use to weave with. It’s a time consuming process, but the solid bound handles create a great contrast in look and feel to the rest of the bag.
If you like the look of Long Ethel but can’t see her in your favourite colours, drop us an email as we often have more cloth available in the studio and we’re happy to make bags to order.
Bag size approx. 32w x 30h x 12d cm
Handle length - approx. 55cm
Composition - 70% Wool, 30% Other fibres
Weight – approx. 280g
Caring for your bag –
We have found a steamy iron on a wool setting removes any creases with ease and gives the bags a little refresh if needed.
If your bag requires washing, we would recommend a gentle hand wash with some wool friendly soap in luke-warm water. Gently squeeze out any excess water, don’t ring or twist the bag as this could damage the yarns. Leave to air dry flat on a towel and once dry give the bag a light pressing with a steamy iron on a wool setting.
