Woven to Last – with Fishbone & Sycamore

12pm–12.45pm | Bookable seating

Ruth Faris & Bea Uprichard | Fishbone & Sycamore

Meet Ruth Faris and Bea Uprichard of Fishbone & Sycamore, contemporary weavers working to keep specialist textile knowledge and traditional Jacquard silk weaving skills alive.

Ruth and Bea will take us behind the cloth to explore the fascinating Jacquard mechanism, the processes involved in weaving silk and the specialist knowledge that sits behind the textiles we use and wear.

But this is also a conversation about our relationship with our clothes.

Ruth and Bea believe that learning how something has been made – and understanding the people, processes and skills behind it – can change the way we value it.

By reconnecting with the stories of our textiles, might we be more likely to care for them, repair them and keep them for longer?

Discover how preserving heritage craft can help us think differently about contemporary consumption and imagine a slower, more conscious future for textiles.

About Fishbone & Sycamore

Ruth Faris and Bea Uprichard are weavers, designers and textile makers based in Manchester. Their work is playful and joyful, rooted in conscious consumption and a shared passion for heritage craft.

Both graduated from Manchester School of Art in 2024 and have since worked as restorers and weavers at Paradise Mill in Macclesfield, home to a remarkable collection of Victorian Jacquard handlooms.

Ruth and Bea wove the first new design at Paradise Mill in 30 years in 2023 and now run Fishbone & Sycamore, a partnership weaving silk scarves at the mill with the aim of preserving traditional silk weaving and breathing new life into the craft.

Booking

This talk is free to attend. You can book in advance to guarantee a seat.

Please click here to book your free place – Eventbrite Booking

When booking, select your free Women Who Make Festival ticket first, followed by the Add-On Ticket for this talk.

There may also be a small number of seats available on the day on a first come, first served basis, with additional space to stand and listen.

You can also meet Ruth and Bea in The Weaving Shed throughout the festival, where they'll be demonstrating Jacquard weaving and sharing more about their craft.

Accessibility

Accessibility information for Masson Mills, Home by Milestone and the festival can be found on the main Women Who Make Festival event page.

You can also find detailed venue access information on the Masson Mills website.

If you have any access requirements or would like to discuss your visit with us, please get in touch.