Behind the Weave | The Magic of the Double Cloth

As an independent weaving mill, not swayed by seasonal trends or outside demands, we have licence to play. To create one-of-a-kind products that align our design to innovate, with a commitment to quality craftsmanship.

At the Mungo Mill, we have 18 looms. A mix of antique shuttle-operated looms, and more mid-century rapier machines. Each of which have unique characteristics and charms. Under one roof, we’re able to oversee the full production line – from design, right through to warping, weaving, CMT, finishing, dispatch and retail. This gives us control over the full process. And endless room for experimentation. And it inevitably allows for flexibility to play with new designs, weave constructions and colour combinations – creating samples that are passed from hand to hand, and taken home to test, until we are satisfied that the finished product is ‘just right’.

Our designs come together through a combination of generations of passed-down skill, and creative flair. Our Master Weaver and founder, Stuart Holding, has over 50 years of experience working with textiles – beginning with an apprenticeship in the Yorkshire silk mills at age 15 that cultivated a lifelong passion for cloth.

One of our earliest double cloth samples dates back to 2010, when Stuart wove a 100% cotton double cloth kikoi on our Ruti shuttle looms. According to our designer, Lenore, the ‘Plett Kikoi’ had been floating around for many years. “It was quite a simple double cloth – it didn’t have stripes in the front or back – but the weight was interesting, and that fed the inspiration.”

Lenore and Stu looking at early iterations of the Double Cloth

For our Double Cloth throw, the first tests were done on our antique Lancashire looms – playing with the construction to determine the best weight and weave construction.

“The warp construction for the double cloth is very time-consuming, so using the Lancashire is a much quicker set-up – making it easier for us to get an idea of the design. Once we were happy, we transferred it over to the dobby looms (our Dornier machines) to get the full width of the throw.

But product development inevitably involves iterations. And the Double Cloth was no exception.

“The first cloth off the loom was stiff, and didn’t have much volume. We’d first tried a plain weave – but once we switched over to a 2/2 twill, which has more floats, the cloth took on a lovely lofty feel. The 2/2 added a kind of dimension to the design, and this is what gives the throw an almost wool-like texture and warmth.”

“The lags were also an interesting part of the story. In the sampling process, we used lags for the pick plan. Much like the pattern card, the lags transfer the design scheme onto the loom. For the Double Cloth, the lag chain was over 4 metres long – the longest we’d ever created!”

Lag chain

Double Cloth sample on the Lancashire loom

Weaving on the Dornier loom

“The finished product came together beautifully. The magic of this throw is that you have double the amount of threads, so it has a really nice weight to it. And then of course it’s reversible – two distinct fabrics stitched together, giving you different designs on either side. So you can flip the blanket over, depending on the season – or your mood!

And the palette? Our designer of course must speak to that.

“We experimented with natural, earthy tones. The Karoo colourway is full of rusts, browns, oranges and grey. It speaks to that arid, yet strikingly beautiful landscape so distinct to this region. And then the Camdeboo – named after a nature reserve in the Eastern Cape where you’ll find the Valley of Desolation. There’s something about those mountains, which cast blue shadows in the early mornings and late afternoons – that’s what we captured in the Camdeboo.”