Papilionaceous

14/05/2026

Thank you

Thank you for your continued support for the kufiya/tatreez ribbons and watch straps

As a result we have donated a further £190 to Medical Aid for Palestinians and £192 to Médecins Sans Frontières / MSF today

Something I hadn't seen before is that on the MAP site you can check ongoing donations, which meant that I could add up what has been donated so far: since May 2024 you have donated (through ribbon purchases via the website) £2765

In addition you have requested (and worn!) over 3000 free black and white ribbons directly from Papilionaceous plus many hundreds more from the various outlets that have been distributing ribbons too, and all of those have resulted in further donations

Thank you everyone

07/05/2026

More work in the Endangered Crafts Auction:

07/05/2026

Endangered Crafts Auction raising funds for Heritage Crafts’ work to safeguard at-risk craft skills is now live and includes this woven silk panel (and many other excellent items and experiences!)

**Medium:** Woven silk **Techniques:** Jacquard silk ribbon weaving **Size:** 38.5 cm H x 30.5 cm W ‘Matilda’ woven silk panel by Robert Ely Wov

05/05/2026

Exhibition in Bovey Tracey open now!

Lovely opening evening at MAKE Southwest on Friday, many thanks to both MAKE Southwest & Heritage Crafts for bringing this collection of 14 endangered crafts together

And also thank you to the craftspeople that I got to quiz about their crafts, so great to get out of the workshop and learn about what other people are doing

Last, but very much not least, thank you to the Papilionaceous customers without whose support this particular craft would be even more endangered than it already is, and with whom we have been lucky enough to collaborate on joint projects, thank you

Exhibition runs until 2 July

27/03/2026

Friday flowers

Silk ribbons, woven in Devon

20/03/2026

Following on from yesterday's craft focus post from Heritage Crafts on the critically endangered craft of silk ribbon weaving, I thought you might like to experience the sights and sounds of those ribbons in production down here in Devon

19/03/2026

Heritage Crafts craft focus on silk ribbon this week - thank you!

01/03/2026

It’s not always straightforward to pinpoint when something actually started.

More often there is a process, a chain of events, the result of which is the current position.

March 1st 1996 was one such event; the date of incorporation for Papilionaceous.

As an individual weaver, was there really a need to be company?

Actually there was, to borrow the money to buy the loom being the main one, stipulated by the bank.

Prior to that date, quite a lot had already happened: the loom search had been narrowed down, I’d left my previous job, a promise of a customer ribbon order was in hand and the Papilionaceous logo seen here had been designed (by me) and implement (by hand) by a calligrapher.

Between March and October 1996, the search for premises continued, financing was secured and the loom ordered. Sounds easy doesn’t it?

And here we are thirty years later, still weaving silk on the same narrow fabric loom, still fascinated by the possibilities that it offers.

22/12/2025

Available now

The Jane Austen edition turquoise & gold silk ribbon is available in the webshop now

This is the heavier 'sash weight' silk and as with the other sash weight ribbons is priced by the half metre but cut to length in continuous pieces (ie. an order for 3 would result in a single 1.5m piece)

18/12/2025

What might you need a matching silk cord for?

Is a question that nobody asked, but here's the answer anyway

Jane Austen 250 Turquoise and gold ribbon bookmark with matching silk tassel