West of the Moon came to be in November 2021, when I started making Christmas baubles with tweed as a hobby. Following the demand from friends and family members, I decided to set up an Etsy shop and I couldn’t have imagined how much interest and love for tweed baubles there would be.

The craft of weaving holds an important place in my heart as it has been part of our family for generations. My dad, grandad and uncle were handweavers for their family business, in which my grandmother ran the shop, in the town of Ardara, Co. Donegal.

The craft of handweaving has gone into decline in recent years, with very few handweavers continuing the skilled craft. My dad and my uncle are some of the last handweavers in Ireland and the beautiful, traditional sound of a handloom is fortunately, a signature sound on the grounds of our family home in Sligo.

The tweed I use in my designs is sourced directly from the Magee weaving mill in Donegal town. Founded over 150 years ago, Magee 1866 is a fifth-generation family business. Magee 1866 designs are inspired by Irish landscapes – from the rugged coastline and peaty bogs to open skies and rolling hills.

It fills me with pride to be working with tweed and bringing a modern edge to a traditional craft that has existed as part of our Irish heritage for many lifetimes.

My hope is that these baubles add a touch of Irish heritage and Christmas joy, to your home.

Le Grá, 

Nicole