FIVE MINUTES WITH A FRIEND: COLLINGWOOD-NORRIS
Collingwood-Norris is a small ethical knitwear and visible mending business based in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. Balancing ethical, colourful knitwear and visible mending, designer and mender Flora champions the use of natural fibres and the skills needed to make your clothing last.
Flora started Collingwood-Norris, in 2016 after years of working freelance, creating catwalk samples for the likes of Christopher Kane, Jasper Conran and House of Holland, as well as designing hand knit patterns and teaching.
Image: Collingwood-Norris, Portrait. © Julien Borghino. Image above: Collingwood-Norris, Something Blue.
With a strong emphasis on colour, often inspired by the Scottish landscapes around her, Flora creates her designs in her small studio on vintage knitting machines, finishing each piece by hand. Working exclusively with natural fibres and creating pieces that will transcend seasonal trends ensures luxurious sustainable designs you can cherish for life.
Flora started exploring the possibilities of visible mending, as her large collection of second-hand sweaters needed some tender loving care.
In August 2021 Flora self-published her book ‘Visible creative mending for knitwear’ to share her repair knowledge, and encourage others to have a sustainable wardrobe that’s unique and personal. Flora now offers regular visible mending workshops, video tutorials, and materials.
We interviewed Collingwood Norris to find out more about her business, textile practice and inspirations.
Image: Collingwood-Norris, Something Old.
Something Old
This is the knitting machine I use for making most of my designs. It’s at least 50 years old, and has been owned by two knitwear businesses in the Scottish Borders before me. I love that it’s connected to this area, and ties me to the textile heritage of the Scottish Borders. It has very fine needles, enabling me to produce a fine, lightweight fabric. 
Image: Collingwood-Norris, Something Old.
Something New
This year I bought a new coat from another Scottish designer, Elizabeth Martin. It’s made from Harris Tweed, so the fabric is made in Scotland as well as the coat. I don’t buy new clothes that often, so when I do it’s important to really love them and know they’re made well. I’ve created several new scarves in colours that look great with the coat’s beautiful green tweed. Wearing more colour in winter is a great way to lift the mood, I think.
Something Borrowed
My mum had a small knitwear business before I was born, creating machine knitted Fair Isle garments. I have one of her old punch card designs, and for this scarf I’ve borrowed one of the motifs, altering it and making it an all over design. 
Image: Collingwood-Norris, Something Borrowed.
Something Blue
This is a second-hand cashmere cardigan I was given several years ago. I ripped it on my knitting machine, and started adding colourful repairs to it. It had several other small areas needing repair, as well as lots of small stains, which I’ve darned, and I decided to make my own tiny darned buttons for it too. I’ve always loved this blue, and I much prefer wearing this cardigan with the colourful repairs.
What is your first memory of a textile?
I have an early memory of my mum teaching me some basic sewing stitches and cross stitch. It was on binca fabric, with purple embroidery thread.
Can you put into words what you love about textiles?
I love the tactile nature of textiles. With knitwear, I love creating textures, patterns, mixing colours and I love that you can do all this and shape it into a garment all at once!
Where is your most inspiring space/place to create?
I have a small home studio where I work- it has lots of light, which I love, and I have colourful yarn and projects everywhere. It’s definitely my happy place.
What has inspired you recently? This could be a book, film or an exhibition you have seen or an artist/designer you admire.
I went to see the Bernat Klein exhibition at the Museum of Scotland recently. It’s fascinating to find out more about how he worked, and see his colour collections and samples of the textures he created. His studio was also in the Scottish Borders, and it’s inspiring to see such colourful work that was influenced by this landscape.
What is your most cherished textile, and why?
My most cherished textile is a multi-colour patchwork blanket my mum knitted for me. She made most of it, but my sister knitted a few squares, and my granny knitted some too. It’s the love of three generations of my family in one piece. I can see where their tensions differed, which makes it imperfect in the most perfect way. As soon as I put it on my sofa, my flat felt like a home.
Where did you learn your craft?
I first learnt knitting and sewing from my mum, and then at school. My grandpa used to give me lots of stitch dictionaries and fashion books, and I used to teach myself new techniques from them as a teenager.
I studied Design for Textiles, specialising in knitwear, at Heriot Watt University, and that’s where I learnt how to use knitting machines.
When and why did you open your store?
I started Collingwood-Norris in 2016, and it’s an almost entirely online business, except for in-person events such as the Selvedge Fair.
Can you tell us a bit about your neighbourhood/community? Why is it so special?
My online community is wonderful- there are so many people becoming interested in mending what they already have in creative ways. It gives me hope for a better future.
Can you tell us something about one of your loyal customers?
My most loyal customer inspires me- she uses my knitwear to extend her cycling season, so she can cycle to work more months of the year. I feel very honoured to be part of her effects to reduce her environmental impact.
Find out more about Collingwood-Norris:
www.collingwoodnorrisdesign.com
@collingwoodnorris
Collingwood-Norris will be exhibiting at the Selvedge Fair, Bath on 9 September 2023. Find out more at on the Selvedge website:
www.selvedge.org/products/9-september-2023-make-do-selvedge-fair-bath