The Story of our Vintage Star Fabric
15 January, 2026
Since 1912, Melin Tregwynt has been producing wonderful Welsh textiles, generating an archive rich with vibrant colours and pattern to draw inspiration from. When Welsh tapestry weaving was in its heyday, every mill had their own unique patterns, and our Vintage Star is one of our earliest double cloth designs.
Vintage Star has proved a popular choice over the years and is often spotted in homes styled by interior designers, luxury hotels and more recently, in multiple rooms of an Omaze house.
First woven at Melin Tregwynt in the 1950s the design was woven in numerous striking colour combinations for many years but was discontinued in the 1980s when we reimagined the pattern into a simplified version, our St. David’s Cross. However, having seen a shift in our customer’s preferences to more contemporary designs in the 1980s and 1990s, in the 2000s our traditional double cloth patterns, Knot Garden and St. David’s Cross, became increasingly popular. This inspired us to reintroduce the larger, bolder pattern of Vintage Star, which celebrated the authenticity of traditional Welsh woven design.
In 2016 we reintroduced the Vintage Star design to our main collection, and we haven’t looked back. Today, Vintage Star is one of our most popular patterns. The design incorporates a Star of Bethlehem motif and features a bold geometric pattern creating a stunning visual impact. The pattern works beautifully with both subtle and vibrant colour palettes, complementing both classic and contemporary styling. A unique charm of Welsh double cloth is its reversibility, and our Vintage Star pattern highlights this feature with its striking effect on the reverse, where the pattern colours intersect.
Image credit: Pacific Furniture Services
The pattern did reappear on our looms a few times before its main revival in 2016. Vintage Star first re-emerged in 2012, when we collaborated with Japanese furniture and lifestyle brand, Pacific Furniture Service, to weave the design in bespoke colours. Our partnership with PFS has continued over the years, resulting in more special colourways woven for the brand in this iconic design. The pattern also appeared in 2014 as part of our ‘Origins’ collection, a limited range of undyed British-wool fabrics, designed to celebrate the beauty of wool and traditional Welsh textiles. These successful projects paved the way for the reintroduction of the design to our main collection, and since 2016 Vintage Star has been featured in numerous special projects, both in-house and further afield.
Image credit: Nant Gwrtheryn
In 2018, we designed a unique colourway of Vintage Star for Nant Gwrtheyrn, the National Welsh Language and Heritage Centre located on the northern coast of the Llyn Peninsula in north Wales. The special fabric, inspired by the subtle colours of sky, sea and land found at Nant Gwrtheyrn, was created to celebrate their 40th anniversary. For more info on this special fabric click here.
More recently, we chose the Vintage Star design for two very special fabrics, both introduced in 2025.
In May 2025 we celebrated our 3rd anniversary of becoming an Employee Ownership Trust and launched Vintage Star Cynefin to mark the occasion. The soft, calming shades of Vintage Star Cynefin draw inspiration from the iconic colours of our Grade 2 listed mill - white-washed walls, grey roofs, and blue trim, fondly known by us as Eluned’s Blue, after Eluned Griffiths. An historic building, our mill houses the history, heritage, and craftsmanship that define Melin Tregwynt, and Vintage Star was the perfect choice to celebrate this connection.
The second colourway, Vintage Star Carreg Las, was launched at the end of October 2025. This limited-edition fabric was created to support the local fundraising efforts for the National Eisteddfod 2026 – Eisteddfod Y Garreg Las. A Melin Tregwynt blanket not only adorns your home and keeps you cosy, it allows you to take a little piece of Welsh culture and tradition wherever life takes you. Vintage Star Carreg Las beautifully encapsulates this concept. The combination of our traditional Welsh pattern with colours evoking the ancient Pembrokeshire landscape creates a comforting reminder of home. We are delighted that sales of Vintage Star Carreg Las have raised over £1,500 to support the 2026 event.
A classic Welsh pattern cherished over the past seven decades, our Vintage Star design remains timeless. We are committed to keeping our beautiful traditional double cloth patterns fresh and relevant by introducing new colourways that reflect changing tastes and markets, while maintaining the link with our cultural identify through these iconic Welsh patterns.
Our Vintage Star design is woven in 100% pure new wool, creating a soft, medium-weight fabric, perfect for a cosy and comforting blanket. Offered in sizes ranging from throw to generous king size, or made to order in cot and pram, each blanket is finished with a simple double-turned hem, allowing you to display either side of the design. The Vintage Star feather-filled cushions are also reversible, so you can select the side that complements your room’s mood or refresh the look with the changing seasons.
Our Vintage Star fabric is woven by our skilled weavers on-site at our charming Grade II listed mill on the rural Pembrokeshire coast. Every member of our team takes great pride in creating luxurious items designed to bring warmth and joy to your home.
Shop Vintage Star.