Rag Makers, Marsden: The mother and daughter business of taking leftover materials from Yorkshire mills to create handcrafted textile accessories
A Yorkshire business which takes leftover materials from mills to create handcrafted textile accessories was set up by a mother and daughter duo after being inspired by their family’s history.
Margaret and Elizabeth Beaumont were inspired by their family’s history in the rag trade to set up their own business - Rag Makers in Marsden - in 2012.
Elizabeth has worked with mills all over the world before she returned to Yorkshire whilst Margaret has always enjoyed sewing and crafting.
Elizabeth had learned all about the textile industry during her studies at the Royal College of Art and her career in design, sourcing and buying.
She comes from a long line of creative generations from both sides of her mother’s family; Margaret’s father’s side were involved in the shoddy mills - textile factories that processed old, worn woollen clothing and rags into a fibrous state to create new, better quality yarn or fabric.
Margaret’s mother’s side were involved in the dress making and tailoring process.
“I’ve been working in fabric sourcing for the high street. I’ve spent a lot of time working with mills all over the world and I really wanted to come back and do that with the mills on the doorstep,” Elizabeth said.
“It was a nice opportunity as a side step to work with mum and to reconnect and discover what was on the doorstep, what we could do and who we could work with.
“We’ve always been very close. I think it was about a change of circumstances, both of us being ready for something different and new.”
Elizabeth said their business was born out of an accidental discovery of a woollen blanket.
“It led to meeting a man called Frank who then passed us onto his mill in Milnsbridge and things evolved organically,” she said.
“There were a lot of materials that were very difficult to use on a large commercial scale, things that got leftover from larger borders. But working on a small scale, they suited us really nicely.
“There’s a very long tradition of it. There’s always been businesses built around things that other people can’t use, certainly textiles.”
Margaret and Elizabeth credit the close knit community in Yorkshire which they think sets their business apart from others.
“We have a lot of lovely emails from customers who tell us about these connections they have either to Huddersfield, the textile industry, to some of the names because we’ve named some of the bags after the ladies who worked in the mills,” Elizabeth said.
“When we were doing a lot of markets, we got so many mothers and daughters coming round and stopping to talk about their family experience or hobbies in terms of textiles, knitting and how they have passed them on.”
They never make the same colour fabric more than three times, so most of their items are unique.
“Our customers like the fact that what they were using and taken outside, they wouldn’t see anywhere else. I think they like that,” Margaret said.
Margaret and Elizabeth said they each have qualities that bring benefits to the business and they are always learning from each other.
“There’s a mutual understanding,” Elizabeth said.
“Mum has a lot of experience with sales, putting on shows, all the trade fairs, which is something that I had always been on the other side of [as a customer].
“I think we’ve learnt a lot from each other and we are still learning a lot from each other.”
Margaret added: “If something you are trying to create doesn’t go very well, you’ve got support and you can cross ideas with each other rather than just working solely on your own.
“I always thought that whatever happened to the business, it must not come between the two of us and it never has.”
Elizabeth has two young daughters and admitted juggling motherhood with her business has been a challenge at times.
“The biggest challenges have been quite personal ones,” she said.
“I’ve become a mum to two girls in the last two years and that’s totally changed the dynamic of things.
“Of course, we had Covid and that disrupted everything and also big life changes.
“My days now are really structured around having young kids, school pick ups and drop offs and all that.
“But I think that’s one of the lovely things about this business is that we have been able to adapt to these changes.”
Margaret added: “I’m getting older. I’m enjoying my retired life.
“We’ve got a market coming up in May, which I should be going to help. I still want to be involved but obviously not as much as before, day to day.”
Margaret and Elizabeth often reflect on the previous years of the business and the people who they have lost along the way.
“It is nice looking back sometimes and just seeing what we have done,” Elizabeth said.
“Yes, businesses change, sadly we’ve lost some of the people we were working with at some of the mills.
“So it’s lovely to look back and remember how [we worked together]. It’s hard work but if you enjoy it then the end result is worth it.”
Rag Makers will be attending Threads, an event taking place at Sunny Bank Mills on Sunday, May 18, 2025.