Some Say They Go the Extra Mile for Clients… Well, I Go the Extra 2000 Miles

People often say they “go the extra mile” for their clients. This latest project required quite a few more than that, approximately 1,100 miles each way between Cardiff and Shetland, making it a round trip of roughly 2,200 miles in total. And honestly? Every single one was worth it.

The journey itself was part of the story. Cardiff to Aberdeen, then onto the ferry, the longest ferry route in the UK 14.5 hours, crossing open water to Shetland. They assured me it was a smooth sail with only 2ft waves. My stomach, however, filed a very different report. Let’s just say despite the treasures I was definitively not a pirate in a past life.

The most unforgettable trip north for one of the most special collaborations I’ve ever been part of. A Shetland project unlike anything I’ve worked on before: creating fine gold pearl buttons and delicate fine gold rings to adorn the softest material I have ever touched - muskox fibre. Yes, muskox.

The wool, more accurately known as qiviut, is one of the rarest and softest fibres in the world. Collected from the undercoat shed naturally by muskoxen living in Arctic climates, it is warmer than sheep’s wool, lighter than cashmere, and astonishingly soft to the touch. You almost don’t believe a material like it can exist until you feel it in your hands. No itch, no heaviness, just an impossibly light softness, closer to a cloud than wool.

To combine that extraordinary fibre with handcrafted fine gold details felt incredibly fitting. Gold has a way of elevating textiles without overpowering them, but here the challenge was restraint creating pieces delicate enough to sit within the lacework rather than compete with it.

The project brought together traditional craftsmanship from very different worlds. I had the pleasure of collaborating with a wonderful Shetland lace weaver Sheila Fowley to create a truly beautiful jumper incorporating the fine gold objects I made, tiny pearl buttons and fine gold rings carefully integrated into intricate lace structures.

Shetland lace itself is something incredibly special. Historically handwoven with impossibly fine yarns, true Shetland lace is renowned for its detail, patience, and skill. Some pieces are so fine they can pass through a wedding ring. It is a craft steeped in heritage and precision, often taking weeks or even months to complete by hand. It is also important to acknowledge that Shetland lace workers are now listed on the Heritage Crafts endangered crafts list, which makes preserving and supporting this skill more vital than ever.

To incorporate fine gold into Shetland lace in this way is exceptionally rare. Gold traditionally belongs to jewellery; lace belongs to textiles. Bringing the two together requires an understanding of movement, weight, tension, and balance. The gold must be refined enough to sit naturally within the fabric without disturbing the drape or delicacy of the knit. It becomes less about ornamentation and more about harmony … precious metal woven quietly into an already extraordinary material.

I want to thank the client for a wonderfully challenging and inspiring commission. It is projects like this that remind me why I love what I do, meeting people, helping them realise their ideas, solving technical challenges, and working with beautiful materials that demand respect and precision.

A special mention also to Sheila, with whom I collaborated on this piece. When we first met, we spent time carefully deciding exactly where the 60 individual gold elements would be placed across the material, a process that felt more like mapping a landscape than designing a garment. I am now very much looking forward to seeing the finished artefact brought fully to life.

And as luck would have it, the trip coincided with my birthday, which felt like the perfect excuse for a proper Shetland experience. So naturally, there was a dip in the North Sea followed by a deep fried Mars Bar - Balanced lifestyle.

The sea was absolutely freezing, the kind of cold that makes you briefly question every life decision, but apparently I stayed in long enough to impress the local sauna man. He looked somewhere between concerned and impressed, which I’ll take. I was then kindly gifted a complimentary sauna session, which was deeply appreciated by every frozen bone in my body.

It’s journeys like this that continually remind me why I do what I do. The travel, the collaboration, the materials that feel almost otherworldly, and the opportunity to create work that sits somewhere between jewellery and textile … it never becomes ordinary.

Even when it involves 2,200 miles of travel, the UK’s longest ferry crossing, a fair test of sea legs, and the inevitable battered chocolate bar along the way.

It feels good to be back in the workshop, surrounded by the familiar rhythm of tools, materials, and half-finished ideas coming back to life. I’ve been working through a steady flow of commissions, each one pulling me in different directions but all reminding me why I enjoy this kind of hands-on work. There’s a satisfying focus that comes with being back in the routine again…measuring, shaping, refining, and gradually seeing pieces take form.

At the same time, I’m getting everything ready for London Craft Week starting next week, which adds a bit of buzz and urgency to the days. It’s a chance to present new work, meet people, and be part of a wider conversation around craft, so the workshop has that slightly charged atmosphere where preparation and creativity overlap.

A sneak peak of what I have been making, if you would like to attend the event at Cutlers Hall in London follow the link for free registration:

https://bishopsland.org.uk/blog/cutlers-hall-exhibition-12-may-2026/

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading a little glimpse into my recent works, there is so much already from this year I have to share!. A huge thank you goes to my little workshop helpers for keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes, especially with packing and sending out online orders so carefully and efficiently.

I’m also deeply grateful to my wonderfully patient clients ... your support, understanding, and enthusiasm make all of this possible, and it never goes unnoticed.

Rebecca