The Stitch Society sews success with historic mill move

A COMPANY specialising in creating garments with vintage fabrics sourced from Yorkshire’s old mills has moved to an historic building as it continues to expand.

The Stitch Society, which has relocated to Salts Mill in Saltaire, was founded by Charlotte Meek and specialises in creating hand-made work aprons for artisans and skilled crafts people, made from fabrics handpicked for their durability and comfort.

Ms Meek says she has always cherished the fabrics produced in the Yorkshire mills and for almost a decade had collected and curated an abundance of material from mills in the local area.  

Founding The Stitch Society last year, her unique designs, some featuring these fabrics, weave history with online commerce to produce practical aprons for today’s skilled craftsmen.

Ms Meek sees the Grade II listed Salts Mill as the perfect environment for her business and a natural move, saying: “Titus Salt’s entrepreneurial success and vision made this the heart of the textile industry.  As the founder of a firm specialising in working with the beautiful cloth produced in many mills just like this, it is really fitting for us to make this our base.”

The new studio will be home to the company’s assortment of fabrics, silk linings, tweeds, cords, denims and vast array of bright buttons and bobbins.

Ms Meek, who started the business at her home studio in Oxenhope, is now expanding the product range in respond to demand for more items to complement the aprons, including project bags, paper patterns for their designs and a new range of children’s aprons.

Robin Silver, a director of Salts Estates which runs Salts Mill, said:
“We are delighted that Stitch Society has chosen to relocate to Salts Mill and we wish them continuing success as the business develops.  It is absolutely fitting that their new home should be in an iconic and historic textile mill that now is home to both the David Hockney art galleries and ground breaking electronics design and manufacturing facilities, a true combination of art and commercial enterprise. 

“In the same way, the textile pedigree of one of West Yorkshire’s landmark building marries well with a firm that respects and champions historic fabrics reworked by a new generation of craftsmen artisans.”