EDINBURGH, UK — “Edinburgh is a hotbed of genius.” Rightly so, Tobias Smollett.
I spent only three days in the city. The architecture, museums, and historic vibe were unmatched. So were the hurricane gusts that hit the city for one day, literally sweeping me off my feet.
Always on the lookout for textiles, I was in excellent hands. My hostess Lesley Knox knew Dovecot Studios would be my kind of place.
Stepping into the current exhibit, IKEA: Magical Patterns, I was thrilled by the big, bold, brash designs. The installation created an immersive world I could walk right into.
Having sewn pillows and tote bags from IKEA’s home-decor cottons, my fabrics were on display too!
One alcove invited visitors to experience a live-in room bursting with color and pattern.
Nearby, displays of tools and design sketches offered a behind-the-scenes look into the Swedish company’s creative process.
The exhibit flowed naturally into a cheerful shop — full of joyful patterned goods but without the anxiety-inducing maze of a full-size IKEA.
Leaving the main gallery, I followed others up to the Viewing Balcony of the Tapestry Studio. Below, artisans were weaving tapestries and tufting rugs.
Leveraging my connection to Lesley, a Dovecot Company Director, I gained special access to the Tapestry Studio. Master weaver Naomi Robertson showed me the works in progress:
Elaine Wilson translating a Mark Hearld painting into tapestry.
An intern’s woven piece patiently waiting for its next stitches.
A rug in mid-creation — gun-tufted from the back — and hanging so I could see both sides.
In the storage room, shelves brimmed with yarn in every imaginable shade.
Dovecot’s home is as fascinating as its art. Once the Infirmary Street Baths, its cavernous Tapestry Studio was originally a Victorian swimming pool. Today, instead of swimmers, you find weavers in the brilliantly updated space.
I left Dovecot appreciating its Edinburgh-style mix of history and innovation — a place where tradition is alive and well, and woven into something new.
DOVECOT STUDIOS
10 Infirmary Street
Edinburgh EH1 1LT
+website
Gallery & Shop
Mon-Sat: 10am -5pm
Open occasionally on Sundays
Cafe
Mon-Fri: 9:30am-5pm
Sat-Sun: 10am-5pm
Tapestry Studio Viewing Balcony
Mon-Fri: Noon-3pm
Sat: 10am-5pm
BELOW My companions: my eldest daughter Liz Stone with hostess Lesley Knox at the National Museum.
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ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria import vintage Japanese textiles, host in-person and online creative quilting experiences, and lead textile tours to Japan.
FOLLOW OKAN ARTS ON INSTAGRAM @okanarts
