Jules was taught to knit and sew by Granny and Mum as a child, and has used those skills to make and mend many family garments and homewares ever since. More recently, with family needs saturated, Jules' knitwear has sold well via Scottish Island Gifts. Adding weaving into the mix in 2020 has given scope for new areas of creativity and a wider range of products.

“To say I find inspiration for my creations in all the ‘scapes’ - land, sea and sky - seems a little obvious, given that our home studio is by a beautiful beach on the idyllic Hebridean Isle of Tiree. More specifically, it is colour combinations and patterns that fill my senses and have me rushing back to the studio to sketch out a new piece with my rainbow pot of old school crayons.

I can find those colours and patterns in everything from a lichen covered rocky outcrop, to an old fishing net, to the stunning plumage of our wild birds, or sunshine across a swathe of machair. But I can also find great colours on food packaging (those tea boxes!), artworks, textiles, furniture, and even in other folks’ clothing and eye colour! Colour gives me joy, especially those colour combinations that truly zing. A memory bank chock full of colours and textiles from my many years travelling the world further informs my creativity. Colour gives me joy, especially those colour combinations that truly zing when juxtaposed.”

Yarn is another source of inspiration. Everything I use is natural - wool, alpaca, mohair, cotton, linen, silk. I find great joy in using yarns from Iona, Mull, Uist and Donegal, Cumbria, Shetland, Yorkshire and, of course Tiree. What could be better than walking along the road to my neighbour to select from her stash of truly sumptuous Angry Triangle Hebridean wool.