John Spencer Textiles are a 6th generation family weaving company run by the great-great-great grandson of the founder. The picture shows John Spencer, his son John and his grandson Tertius.
The mill is the last remaining traditional cotton mill in Burnley, Lancashire, once the world centre of cotton weaving.
Specialising in the weaving of spun yarns, the company makes a huge range of fabric widths and weights for all sorts of end uses including home furnishings, ladies and menswear, protective clothing, industrial fabrics and even parachutes.
Fibres used include cotton, wool, silk, linen, viscose and polyester to name but a few. Coloured yarns can be incorporated into the designs with unlimited warp colours and up to 6 weft colours.
The fully air-conditioned weaving shed has 30 modern computer controlled rapier looms. All of these have 16 shaft dobbies and 2015 will see the introduction of two jacquard machines to add to the creativity and flexibility of the production.
Warping is carried out on two electronically controlled warping machines with the capability of handling pattern repeats of over 1000 ends.
John Spencer Textiles are the UK’s only approved weaver of organic cotton yarns, certified by the Soil Association and under the Global Organic Textile Standard
Fabric can be supplied loomstate or finishing can be arranged with specialist local finishing companies.
Commission warping and weaving of customers own yarns can be undertaken. Minimum quantities are usually around 100 metres but with the capability of producing around 1000 metres on a loom each week, the capacity is there to produce large volumes where required.
The design department has two designers who love to work with customers and can produce computer aided designs and 3D simulations to simplify the process of bringing ideas to life.
To see John Spencer Textiles in Commission Weavers section of The Weaveshed.
With thanks to John Spencer Textiles for text and images.
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