Our Story
The Crewel Collective was founded by Serena Woolliams to champion hand embroidered crewel fabric which has long been her particular passion. The business was created not only to celebrate the talents of the master artisans with whom she is fortunate enough to work, but also to ensure that their skills are supported and able to find new markets in which to flourish.
Having been involved with India for nearly 30 years, Serena collaborates with only the very finest artisans and is delighted to show you the culmination of her work in this collection. Not only do the fabrics draw upon traditional Kashmiri motifs, but in addition designs and colour palettes have been updated to ensure that the fabrics are suited to European and North American aesthetics and light, sitting comfortably within both modern and traditional settings.
A lifelong love affair with India
An Embroidered Journey
Crewel embroidery dates back to 1077, and today's master artisans still create it in much the same way. The hand embroidery process is meticulous and time-intensive; a single piece of fabric can take months to complete. On average, it takes one artisan approximately 3 days to complete 1 metre of crewel embroidery depending on the density of stitching, number of different colours employed and complexity of design.
1. The pattern is transferred to the base cloth.
2. The woollen yard is hand-dyed and prepared.
3. The fabric is embroidered using a hook and a chain stitch.
4. The completed fabric is inspected and rolled.
In The Press
John D Wood & Co. Magazine
Our Showrooms
The Crewel Collective is available exclusively at Tissus d'Hélène in the UK and Wells Abbott in the USA
London
421 Design Centre East
Chelsea Harbour
SW10 0XF
New York
200 Lexington Avenue
Suite 423
NY 10016
Chicago
222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza
Suite 6-142
IL 60654
Houston
5120 Woodway Drive
Suite 3010
TX 77056
Dallas
1025 N. Stemmons Freeway
Suite 749
TX 75207