Jane Beck at Welsh Blankets has an extensive knowledge of the Welsh woollen Industry for Welsh Blankets and Welsh Quilts, living on the borders of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area well known for its commercialisation of the Wool Trade.
Jane has a personal collection of treasured nineteenth Century and early Twentieth Century Welsh blankets, shawls and quilts from all over Wales. As a member of The Welsh Mills Society, Jane is documenting the remaining Mill buildings and patterns to preserve this information for the future. Jane is not a quilter or a weaver; her interest is predominantly the social history associated with the industry. Just as important as the history, is the living industry served by a handful of mills still producing cloth using age-old looms and traditional methods.
Jane only uses Welsh producers including seamstresses, conservators and knitters who have increased the range of hand made accessories and hand tailored clothing available.
Visitors are always welcome to ‘Emporium’, Jane’s Nineteenth Century Welsh cottage in the foothills between Tregaron and Lampeter, just 10 minutes from Lampeter and 10 miles inland from Aberearon.
With over 1500 Welsh blankets plus quilts, shawls, wonderful tea cosies, bears and bags, cushions and clothing, please bear in mind that with so much to choose from, most visitors take at least an hour to make their final selection which can be quite a trial for small children. However, members of the family who are not quite so keen are welcome to sit out in the garden with a cuppa! Please phone first so Jane can put the kettle on!
Evening and weekend appointments are welcome with a little notice.
