Baigali Designs Journal

My Love of Fabric

My love of fabric started as a teenager when I made my own dresses and rummaged around fabric shops in Edinburgh and London. 

Over the years I have grown to love the experience of exploring, searching and browsing fabric shops all over the world, from Venice, Marrakesh and Qatar to a fantastic wee fabric shop in Cordoba, Spain and more recently in Santa Maria, Sal, Cabo Verde.

Scottish Textiles

High-quality Scottish textiles like tartan, tweed, and cashmere can be found all over Scotland, if you know where to look. Most Scottish weavers and outlets have a sale once or twice a year, this is where I pick up most of my pure wool fabric. I have a wide selection of fantastic Scottish pure wool fabric from Lovat of Hawick, Johnstons of Elgin, The Isle Mill, Lochcarron of Scotland, Timorous Beasties in Glasgow and Bute Fabrics on the Isle of Bute. 

I also enjoy visiting smaller weavers such as Ardalanish Isle of Mull Weavers, Skye Weavers and Knockando Woolmill.

Over the years I have built up a large stock of quality fabric which is stored in my wee studio in Edinburgh, plus a significant amount of Italian and British tassels and other trimmings. 

I like to offer customers a wide choice of fabrics while designing and completing personal commissions for cushions or throws.

What to look out for

In Scotland you can find great quality fabrics, so many of our weavers produce fabric for the top fashion houses, we therefore have fantastic quality wool fabric right on our doorstep.

For more details on the relationship between 'Fashion and Scottish Textiles', please refer to my blog - Fashion and Scottish Textiles.

An good example of one of my textile treasure hunts; I found beautiful 'hand tied' onion tassel trim down one of the back streets of Venice and paid far too much for them at the time. It was during that visit to Venice that I discovered that the best tassels in the world were made in Italy. A few months later my husband found the manufacturer, we ended up buying a lot of gorgeous tassel trim direct from the factory.

I use the Italian trim in my Cuillin Collection cushions.

Tips for buying fabric

1.) Check Fabric Width: Most fabrics are 130-150cm (50-60 inches) wide which is referred to as double width, Harris Tweed is often sold in a single width of 75cm. Also, check that the price is for 1 meter per width, not 1 square meter. I had this confusion in Taroudant, Morocco, where we agreed a meter price and then discovered it was a square meter price. (Refer to photo below). I love Morocco, the fabrics are amazing and very different to our Scottish tweeds.

2.) Look for Quality: Check for a consistent colour and pattern, consistent weave, and lack of damage. You can usually feel the quality and texture of the fabric by running your finger tips through the fabric weave.

3.) Understand Fibre Content: Sustainable natural fibres like cotton, linen, and wool are breathable and better for the planet, while synthetic fibres like polyester offer durability but don't have the same feel as natural fibres.

4.) Check for a description on the fabric, if there is one: Details like: Fibre content (e.g. 100% cotton or a linen-viscose blend), weight in gsm (grams per square meter), stretch content (if any), whether the fabric is deadstock, ex-designer or made in the UK or abroad.

5.) Buy fabric online: This is not as much fun as browsing for an unusual find in a shop stuffed full of fabric. I buy from online sellers who stock quality fabric brands and are reliable. If you’re unsure about colour, texture, or weight then order a swatch first. This is a low-cost way to make sure the fabric is exactly what you need before committing to the full order. Be aware that once you have bought fabric online that has been cut for you, you cannot return it, unless it is damaged on delivery.

Know your Fabric Types

Cotton: Lightweight, breathable, and crisp with a soft finish. Ideal for shirts, dresses, blouses, and children’s clothes. Often used in patchwork quilting.

Viscose: Drapey and smooth with beautiful movement. Great for wrap dresses, skirts, or anything that needs a flowy feel.

Linen: Natural, slightly textured, and cool to wear. Ideal for summer clothing like tunics, trousers, tableware, cushions, throws and curtains.

Wool: Warm, sustainable, natural and structured. Great for cushions, throws, coats, jackets, skirts, and tailoring.

Polyester: Wearable for everyday garments, not sustainable.

My ‘Happy Place’

As you can tell from this blog, I can't resist a fabric shop while on holiday, my husband calls it 'my happy place'.

I enjoy telling my customers where I bought some of the fabrics. Even though 85% of my fabrics come from Scotland, I love to include these exciting finds in most of my cushion and throws.

I will, however, continue to travel around Scotland buying and championing Scottish wool from small weavers on the West of Scotland's islands to larger weavers in Keith and the Scottish Borders.


When I am lucky enough to get my hands on quality fabric while on holiday, I buy as much as I can fit into our suitcases!

We are fortunate to have such fantastic quality, variety of patterns, textures and exciting colours of woollen fabric woven all over Scotland. 

Yet, nothing matches discovering a wee shop abroad full of material and trimmings, usually run by ladies who, like me, just love fabric!