Julie Leonard’s handmade wool ponchos aren’t just made to be enjoyed in the moment; these are modern fashion heirlooms, designed to be passed down through the generations. Created from her small studio – one whitewashed room of an old Welsh chapel, five minutes from her home in Hay-on-Wye – the ponchos are crafted from Welsh double cloth. The fabric is woven on old ‘dobcross’ looms at Melin Teifi mill, one of the few remaining of its kind. The geometric pattern of the double cloth is known as Welsh tapestry, or Caernarfon, which Welsh blankets are traditionally made from.
‘They function a bit like a magic carpet I sometimes think,’ says Julie. ‘When people come to
