Cotton and Linen
We use cotton from Bihar and Linen from Bhagalpur in India. Linen is a much more sustainable fabric to produce over cotton as it requires a lot less water to produce. Linen is made from Flax plant and the whole plant is used, meaning there is very little waste.
Hand Woven fabric
Each weaver will all have slight differences in their weave making each roll unique. The thread is hand spun and will vary in its thickness throughout, and in the weaving process the threads will be joined by little knots – unseen in uniformed machine made material. By choosing hand woven fabric we are keeping traditional weaving methods alive whilst also having a positive impact on the environment.
Using for upholstery
Our linen and cotton fabrics have been through professional lightfastness and rub tests and have passed for use in a general domestic environment. Fabrics with red in the print are advised to not be used in strong sunlight as this colour could fade slightly
HOW OUR FABRICS ARE MADE
Designing
Stroud, UK
Creative Director Alice creates all the designs herself often sat at the kitchen table with paint brush in hand, inspired by combinations of a colour palettes seen in everyday life and travels.
SPINNING YARN
North East India
The cotton yarn comes from Bihar, and the linen yarn is from Bhagalpur. The raw fibres are spun in the traditional way by hand before being woven.
Weaving
North East India
The weaving is done in Bengal and Assam on traditional wooden looms that require no power to operate. Hand woven fabric also uses considerably less water in its production compared to mill manufactured fabrics. To produce one metre of fabric by hand requires 5 litres of water in comparison to mill manufactured fabric which will use 55 litres of water per metre of fabric produced.
Printing
Jaipur, India
The fabric is screen printed by hand using large screens. One is needed for each colour in the design. The fabric is stretched out on long tables, and the printers move down the table pulling each layer of ink through the screen as they go until it is all covered. They repeat this process for each colour. The heat in Jaipur enables them to move at speed. By the time they have finished one length the fabric is dry and ready for the next layer. The fabric is then washed and left in the sun to oxidise, making the final colours appear. The sun is integral to the process.
Hand-woven Dhurrie Rug
Our rugs are 100% Cotton Hand Woven Dhurrie Rug in the classic Humphries and Begg bold print designs. Each print is designed specifically as a rug and is available in every size, although we haven't got a sample of every one. We try and keep stock of the small size and runners but medium and large are made to order and will take 4-6 weeks for delivery.
Woven in Jaipur, India
Hand-tufted Wool Rug
Latest to our range of rugs Wool rugs, hand-tufted in Jaipur India. Soft and warm underfoot.
Our tufted Circus rug is a playful design of primary colours, see original water colour design by Alice. It has translated beautifully into one of our tufted rugs. These are made with a hand tufting machine. It has a thick pile that feels like a carpet to walk on. Extremely comfortable and feels very luxurious.
Our Flamingp rug - Pink, green and vibrant. This design is really fun and would look great in both a modern or traditional house. One of our favourites.. Available in tufted wool like a carpet or woven wool similar to a dhurrie rug pictured here.
How our rugs are made
Designing
Stroud, UK
All the designs are designed specifically and remain unique to the rugs. Alice's usual fluid mark-making style has translated well into the hard lines of the weave in the woven rugs. Arriving soon are the hand-tufted woollen rugs with a lovely texture creating more movement in the design.
Dying
Jaipur, India
The dying of the cotton yarn is done in large wood fired vats outside and left to dry in the hot Indian sun. This is a very procise art and because of the hand made
Weaving
Jaipur, India
Our rugs are woven by a small team in Jaipur under the organisation who describe their weavers as the root of their tree. They look after their weavers by providing medical and education support. This january 2023 we went to visit the team there and watch the process, which is quite remarkable.
TUFTING
Jaipur, India
Our wool rugs are hand tufted by the same team in Jaipur. This is using a tufting gun. We also have the option of having these made by hand. This is a beautiful but lengthy process. Each tuft is hand knotted, to give you an idea of time our medium sized rug takes 3 months when hand knotted. They do look very beautiful and are built to last.
Hand-painted Lamps
Our lamps are hand-painted by Claire Cartwright in her studio in Bristol. Using a careful combinations of inks and pigments she recreates Alice's design to fit the form of the shade and provide the perfect illumination to your room.
How our lamps are made
Designing
Stroud, UK
Alice decides which print would make complementary lighting to sit alongside the range and Claire Cartwright translates the design to fit the lampshade.
PAINTING
Bristol, UK
Claire mixes pigments and inks to recreate the colours of the design, and meticulously paints each one by hand. This is many hours of work.
ASSEMBLING
Bristol, UK
Using binding tape and metal rings Claire then assembles each shade by hand, hand rolling the tape around the rings.
SPINNING
East Sussex, UK
Claire designs the lampbase and draws up a technical drawing for the woodturner Chris Carver based in East Sussex who uses the surplass from hius larger projects. This means the type of wood may differ from batch to batch.
How to care for your H&B home products
Cushion covers and fabrics
All our cushion covers and fabric can be put in the machine on a cold wash using minimal detergent and a light spin, allowing them to dry naturally.
Rugs:
Please wash your rugs carefully and gently and remember that they are hand woven
natural fibres.
We recommend dealing with each stain and mark individually depending on the type
and size of stain and the size of the rug.
A mini rug or a runner should fit in your washing machine and so for overall general
grime and dirt we would recommend popping them in the machine on a cold wash
with minimal detergent and leaving to dry naturally.
Larger rugs can be given a general cool wash in the bath with a small amount of
detergent and also left to dry flat naturally.
If you have a specific stain you could use a carpet cleaner that you froth up, sponge
on, leave to dry and vacuum off.
If you’d rather try a more eco friendly approach try using a mix of bicarb and vinegar
(there is lots of information online about this).
Or if you have the space and equipment you could always use soap all over and
hose the rug down outside.
Always leave them to dry flat naturally.
We have a large rug out in the shop that gets a lot of use and we have used a wet
vacuum cleaner with a detergent and it has made a huge difference.
CONTACT INFO
11 Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BB
+44 7506 684311
info@humphriesandbegg.co.uk
