Heather Shields

Heather Shields is a textile designer and weaver, specialising in bold contemporary textiles woven from 100% wool. Based in Gourock on the west coast of Scotland, she designs her cloth using both traditional and electronic looms. Her striking patterns and intuitive approach to colour reflect a variety of influences; unusual compositions, patterns in nature and architecture are recurring themes within her work. Heather's affinity with weaving began at art school, where she immediately became fascinated with the physical practice and the endless possibilities for experimentation, through fibre, structure and colour.Collaging initial ideas using painted and found papers, Heather’s designs begin to develop a momentum that intensifies when matched to carefully selected yarns and taken to the loom. Luxuriously soft yet durable wool is combined with a double cloth construction, to create a strong graphic edge and clean simplicity, infusing each piece with a timeless aesthetic. All of her fabrics are either hand woven or made in small batches at Drove Weaving in Langholm, Scotland. Heather strives to continually evaluate and improve her practice so that her textiles are produced in a sustainable and ethically responsible manner. As such, all of her pieces are constructed with zero waste.