I had my waistcoat fitting today, and I was completely taken by the tailor’s professionalism and the exceptional quality of their work. So much so, that I’ve decided not only to have a waistcoat made from my St Kilda tweed, but a matching jacket as well.

Of course, there’s a small catch… I don’t quite have enough cloth. So, I’ll be heading back to the loom to weave another 5 metres of tweed to match.

As before, I’ll be using natural cream Corriedale 4-ply for the warp, sourced from Ronelle at Cloverleaf Stud in Bullengarook, just outside Gisborne, Victoria. The weft will be a brown 4-ply, spun by Paul & Clare from Fibre Arts shed in Jilliby NSW, using fleece from Ronelle’s neighbour’s sheep—carefully chosen to echo the tones of traditional Soay wool.

All excellent practice as I continue preparing for my time weaving on St Kilda next year.

(See the photo attached of a matching jacket and waistcoat made from St Kilda tweed, held in the National Trust for Scotland collection.)