Hello! My name is Jack and I work here in the Bradley Threads Laboratory.
I will be writing articles on subjects like, 'fibers and where they come from', 'how yarns and threads are produced', 'the dyeing process', 'how we perceive color' and many more.
I have years of experience in the thread making world and am here to share my knowledge with you, while also working hard on bringing you the best threads possible.
To give you some background on me...
I am originally from a town called Accrington, which is in the North West of England in a county called Lancashire. I spent many years working in the textile industry there.
Lancashire has a rich textile heritage and history, with many famous textile inventions and innovations coming out of the area. Here are some of the people and innovations that inspired me growing up in the county...
Inventions made in Lancashire
The Spinning Jenny - James Hargreaves
The Spinning Jenny was an invention of a man called James Hargreaves, in a village close to Accrington called Oswaldtwistle. At the time spinning cotton into threads was often done in the homes of textile workers. The invention of the Spinning Jenny in 1764 allowed a single spinner to operate eight spindles simultaneously. The invention meant that larger quantities could be produced which brought the introduction of the mass production of threads.
Water Frame - Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright was from Preston, a city in Lancashire close to Accrington. Richard Arkwright is considered to be the father of the modern industrial factory system. He developed the water frame which was powered by water instead of being manned by people. His invention greatly reduced the cost of cotton spinning and completely changed the way that factories were run.
Cotton Mercerization - John Mercer
John Mercer of Great Harwood, a small town next door to Accrington, developed the mercerization process for cotton. This is a textile finishing treatment that increases strength, reduces shrinkage and gives it a lustrotus shine. Without the invention of mercerization we wouldn't have the beautiful pearl and floss cottons that we have today.
As you can see I grew up in a part of the world that had a great impact on the thread world that we know today. The school trips to the local mills and museums as well as working within the industry for many years has given me a great passion for threads! I also have a passion for producing threads ethically and sustainably, which I will also talk more about in future articles.
If you have any questions or have a topic that you'd like me to talk about in the future please comment below.
I look forward to sharing my Fiber articles soon...
Thanks,
Jack
