Homegrown/Homespun is a ground-breaking regenerative fashion pilot project in collaboration with designer Patrick Grant, his social enterprise Community Clothing and North West England Fibreshed, with aims to re-introduce flax and woad growing to Blackburn, East Lancashire and create a linen clothing line. It is an innovative, natural textile and clothing project with far reaching benefits for the environment and nature, health and cohesion of the community, and the stimulation of a local green economy along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal corridor in East Lancashire.

Over Spring and Summer 2021 we turned unused land in the town into a field of flax and woad. The flax was then harvested, spun into thread and woven live during last year’s British Textile Biennial to create the first Homegrown/Homespun fabric.

In 2022/3 we have continued the Homegrown/Homespun project on a larger scale, with three fields now planted across Blackburn. The original Audley site from 2021 has been expanded and now houses a woad site next to the flax field, and we have developed two new flax fields at Queens Park bowling green and St Mary’s & St Josephs R C primary school.

We’ll be sharing plans for 2024 soon after the new year so if you’d like to meet new people, spend time outside and learn new skills, do get in touch and come and join us!

Sign up to our mailing list here, or contact uzma@superslowway.org.uk for more information.

Below are some interesting and useful resources, blogs and press releases related to the Homegrown/Homespun project.

From Field to Fashion – A letter from Patrick Grant.

Countryfile – Field to Fashion episode.

Homegrown/Homespun Volunteer Vox Pops.

Homegrown/Homespun is supported by The JJ Charitable Trust and The National Lottery Climate Action Fund.