Behind the Scenes - a look at making our fabric in England for 'Made in UK Day'

🏭 In celebration of  'Made in UK Day' this week I thought you might like to have a look behind the scenes at  the screen printing of our  ‘Metamorphosis’ linen union  fabric in Cumbria. 

It was a thrilling, fascinating day see the fabric for the first time, but it also required nerves of steel!

The huge screens are expensive, and unlike digital printing, you can't try it out before you commit!

Different kinds of screens and inks were used for each layer of the design, building up to a give a depth and texture which couldn't be achieved with other techniques.

Printer Garry had started work at 5am and after 5 hours of machine set up couldn't leave until I was happy with the colours and the order was printed...So the pressure was on!

Supporting local manufacturing is a issue close to my heart, having worked for 6 years in my first job in a tannery in Leeds.  

The closure of the tannery in 2006 resulted in the loss of hundreds jobs (including my own) as well as an immense amount of skill and knowledge which will no longer be passed on. 

By manufacturing all our designs within 100 miles of our Leeds studio I hope to play a small part in preventing this happening again.

Metamorphosis linen union has been shortlisted for the Design Guild Awards.

From real cork wallpaper to secretly naughty lace, The Monkey Puzzle Tree collaborates with artists to create unique fabrics and wallpapers for interiors.

Founded by Charlotte Raffo in 2017, The Monkey Puzzle Tree has a strong social conscience and works to support local communities and minimise the environmental impact of their products. They pay their artists generous royalties to help them continue with their creative work and make all designs to the highest standards using English manufacturers within 100 miles of their Leeds studio.