I love this restaurant

We’re obviously fans of Welsh tapestry fabrics so it’s fantastic to see how IlseCrawford has used classic Welsh tapestry blankets in her design for the restaurant at the Olde Bell Inn, draping them over high-backed settles from Labour and Wait and fastening them with bridle leather belts. By the way ours is the one by the window.

She has covered the floors with handwoven rush matting, installed Bestlite wall lamps, and furnished the bedrooms with Ercol Windsor rocking chairs, and added a dash of red to the neutral color scheme with a Roberts Revival radio.

For a closer look at her work go to the wonderful Remodelista blog where you’ll find lots of other interesting articles and fantastic inspiration.

Update on 2009-03-17 15:59 by Eifion Griffiths

I’ve just found another image from the Olde Bell Inn showing more of the interior and another of our Knot Garden fabrics.

I’m glad to see that this interior is has been shortlisted for the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in the category Best Restaurant Interior. This is the UK’s first and only restaurant and bar awards dedicated exclusively to project and product design with an award going to both designer and operator 

Awards Ceremony - Monday 27th April 2009 

Well I hope they win.

ITV Documentary on the biggest picnic blanket in the world tomorrow at 8.00pm

ITV1 is showing a documentary tomorrow (Friday 18th July) at 8.00pm. about the making of the Waitrose picnic blanket.

They filmed the blanket being woven here at Melin Tregwynt but they also visited Schofields, our finishers in Scotland and then went to South Africa to show the finished cloth being sewn together and filmed. I’ve seen clips taken from the documentary and it looks fascinating, particularly the actual filming.

Unfortunately we never got to go to South Africa ourselves, but it will be great to see how they put it all together. Just weaving it was difficult enough, but to actually sew all the strips together, put a backing on it and then carry it up a hill and roll it down again (again and again) during filming was truly heroic. It took 40 strong men to actually lift it.

The advert was only planned to run for four weeks so if you missed it take a look here. If you want to win a smaller version Waitrose are running a competition with 30 picnic blankets to be won (see below) and click here.

Waitrose Picnic Blanket Competition

 

Win a picnic blanket (like the one in the Waitrose tv advert – only smaller)

You could win a picnic blanket (150cm x 200cm) made by Melin Tregwynt just like the one featured in the Waitrose television ad (only smaller).

The blanket used in the television advert was the size of four tennis courts and weighed one tonne! It is no surprise that it has been certified for a Guinness World Record as the largest picnic blanket in the world.

The blanket used in the advert was sent to Westfalia Farm, one of the Waitrose Foundation farms, and cut into more than 500 quilts and then given to crèches across our Foundation farms in South Africa.

There are 30 picnic blankets to be won, and the closing date for the competition is 31st July 2008. Terms and conditions apply.

Winners will be sent the picnic blanket within 15 working days from the closing date.

For your chance to win simply click enter and follow the instructions.

All entries must be received by the closing date of midnight on the 31st July 2008.

We weave the largest picnic rug in the world

Back in March we were approached by Waitrose and asked to make the largest picnic rug in the world for an advert they were shooting in April and that has just been released. We managed to weave this rug which is 40 mts x 44 meters in the three weeks available and it was a sensational job.

This project was only realised because of an amazing amount of hard work & commitment from the staff at the mill, plus tremendous support from our yarn supplier & cloth finisher. It just goes to prove that UK manufacturers can still be best in the world at the fast turnaround of high quality and bespoke products. There were plenty of problems, the main one being the short time available but we really enjoyed it, Waitrose were really pleased and the advert is fantastic.

After the filming the rug was cut up into smaller blankets which all went to the various children’s charities in Africa that Waitrose supports. It was a wonderful project to be involved with (see more details below).

There will be a documentary about the making of the picnic blanket and the advert itself out soon, probably on Channel 4. We’ll keep you posted.

Update on 2008-05-28 15:57 by Eifion Griffiths

For those of you who asked for more information about our giant picnic rug.

The giant picnic blanket which forms the centre piece for the Waitrose television ad was specially commissioned is equivalent to the size of four tennis courts - 40 metres x 44 metres and weighs one tonne - has been certified for a new Guinness World Record* as the largest picnic blanket in the world.

Following the filming of the ad in Durban, South Africa, the blanket was donated to the Waitrose Foundation, a project dedicated to improving the lives of South African Farm Workers who grow and pick fruit for the supermarket. Farm workers at Westfalia Farm, an avocado growing farm in the Limpopo Province, will turn the blanket into over 400 individual quilts with workers being paid for each quilt they make. The quilts will then be donated to crèches across Waitrose Foundation farms and distributed to the workers of the Foundation farms for use in their homes.

Melin Tregwynt on The Apprentice again

Watching the television on Thursday night I was amazed to see our blankets on four programmes one after another. Different channels of course. We were on Cwpwrdd Dillad at 8.30pm. and Pedair Wal at 9.00pm. both on S4C the welsh language channel. Then I turned over to BBC1 and saw our cushions on the Apprentice.Our cushions have been used in the Apprentice House for the last two years. We’ve certainly lasted longer than the candidates.

Lastly over to BBC2 for The Apprentice - Your fired and there we were again in the backgound when John Alex and Lee were attacking Sara and Raef came to the rescue and our cushion provided much needed comfort. Blanket coverage for a Thursday night.

Melin Tregwynt at the Movies

Update on 2008-05-03 15:25 by Eifion Griffiths

I should explain that the above film was made by Design Wales. They provide design support for individual Welsh businesses and undertake a wide range of activities to encourage and develop the use of design in Welsh industry and education.

Apologies for the long silence but it's been a busy time

I’m sorry that our journal entries have been sparse over the last two months. It was so hectic in the run up to Christmas. It’s always a busy time but this was the busiest. Both Mandy and I were taken ill during our visit to Japan in November and it took us ages to recover. No more excuses.

The mill is still busy even though the Christmas holiday season has long gone. Monday was typical. We’re preparing for Showcase Ireland in Dublin this week and getting ready to sail over through gale force winds. ITV Wales were at the mill filming during the afternoon; and we also had a meeting to discuss throws and cushions for a large new leisure development opening here in Pembrokeshire next June.  See here for more details on what’s being planned.

The Usual Suspects - Rear View

This is a great product shot of Muji staff wearing their Melin Tregwynt scarves and stoles. I love this. It’s so quirky, full of fun and so Japanese. They really enjoy their advertising and love to create something unusual that makes you look twice. It reminds me of the film the Usual Suspects.

Happy New Year