Thursday 31 March 2011

THE ROYAL WEDDING

Jessica Light Trims and Tassels haven't been invited to the Royal Wedding [I know- can't take us anywhere], but we like to feel we'll be there in kind due to the fringe that adorns the Buckingham Palace balcony that was woven by Jessica.
Jessica wove this fringe while working for Wendy Cushing at the factory in Leyton. It's a 21cm wool bullion with tags the size of sausage fingers and was so heavy that a couple of the boys from the ropewalk had to come and help lift it.
The fringe it replaced was 98 years old and we hope that when it needs to be re-woven there will still be someone left in the U.K who knows how to do it.
There was a large trimmings industry in Britain and even when Jessica started there were still 3 factories left in London. There are now none and Jessica is one a few people she knows that if they woke up in Tudor England has the skills to actually go out and get a job. 
It is vital that we keep our traditional industries alive because once they're gone that's it, and we will have lost yet another part of our cultural heritage. So when someone orders a product from us they are getting so much more than just a trim, they are helping to preserve techniques that go back centuries and yes we are using the Royal We.