Natalie's Placement

Things have been as busy as ever here at Rag Tag, and this week we have been very lucky to have a visiting graduate, Natalie Deacon. We're going to hand over the blog today, so Natalie can share her experiences! Please be nice about us Natalie!

Natalie learning to sew!

As I walked through the welcoming shop entrance of Rag Tag n Textile I felt a sense of warmth the minute I ran in the door to escape the bitter morning! Little did i know...

I was about to embarke on an array of eventful activities which would be GO, GO, GO!

First stop...Fashion show practice run at Breakish Hall!

'From Ross-Shire with Love'...The captivating theme for the eagerly anticipated 'Rag Tag 'N' Textile' shows.

The reaction of everyone involved spoke volumes, as everybody put their all into it. Not a bad murmur in sight! The born naturals had to strut their way down the make-shift run way! This confidence booster had us all in good fettle for our yummy lunch with the team at the Broadford workshop!

My second day set off bright and early in the Rag Tag workshop. We had an accessory making workshop planned, the exquisite fabrics, rugged furs and vintage jewels danced along the shelves of the busy workshop! All 14 of the team contributed with complete unity helping one another with an idea or stitch here and there.

The results of the fun-filled day were not a reflection of the weather!...Less of the drab and in with the FAB!

Days 4 and 5 were spent capturing photos of the clothes and accessories which are definitely a license to thrill!

I learned some skills that I didn't have before I came. I learned to sew (see the picture above) I made head-dresses and necklaces and stitched the lining of a bag, but you'll have to come to the fashion shows to see my handy-work!

These are two of the colourful ensembles you will see at the 'From Ross-shire with Love' Fashion show.

The team behind the brand embody the Rag Tag image, both with enigmatic style and even more enigmatic personalities. Spending a week in their company you can understand that the WOW-Factor designs are no gimmick, they’re a passion and a lifestyle. I enjoyed witnessing designers first hand who are having fun with their clothes and who are just a lovely bunch of amazing people!

As you can see the symbolism of crafts binding friendships is the key to what 'Rag Tag 'N' Textile' is all about!

Fashion, Flowers of Scotland and the Yuletide Gnomes

So we can hardly believe it's September already! We're incredibly busy right now with so much going on. It's only a little over two weeks to the fashion shows, but we have some really gorgeous clothing ready as the team has been working so hard. The standard of clothing last year was really high, this year it's even higher. But the winner so far is Crispin, who's made three times as many clothes as anyone else! See our new range for yourself at any of the three venues below.

Kyleakin Village Hall – Saturday 1st October 7.30pm
Tigh na Sgire, Portree – Tuesday 4th October 7.30pm
The One Touch Theatre, Inverness – Thursday 6th October 7.30pm

The clothes are absolutely amazing and all three evenings should be great fun!

The Skye fashions shows are free entry and there is no need to book, if you want to go to Eden Court you can buy tickets from their website here

The fashion shows are being held as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. Find out more about what's on in the Highlands and Scotland-wide by checking out this website. The arts festival is a really good way of highlighting mental health issues, the various shows and events will be thought provoking, interesting, challenging and fun!

Working hard on the fashion shows hasn't stopped us stocking the shop, with lots of new goodies coming in over the last few weeks and more being added every day.

Sarah Berry's pincushion cups have been selling well, hardly surprising as they are so pretty and delicate, they retail at between £5.00 and £9.50

Shirley Taylor's also been working hard on these adorable Yuletide Gnomes. Adorable in this picture, they are even nicer in real life. Handknitted with love they are selling at only £14.50 each.

We also have introduced a brand new range of cushions and placemats. The Flower of Scotland range is a salute to the Saltire using gorgeous floral fabrics in shades of blue. The placemats are 2 for £10.00 the cushions in the pictures below sell at £14, but prices range from £10 and include the pad

Our online shop should be launched by mid-October and a number of our products will be available to purchase soon.

For more information about our events, workshops and online shop, check out our website here