ADRIANA Gentile does most of her thinking while weaving on her hand loom.

The rhythmic pattern is a vital part of the creative process at Adriana Homewares. And for Adriana, the loom is where her heart lies. "I love weaving. When I was left university I thought, 'I have to get a loom'," she says. "It's the starting point for all my ideas."

Adriana, from Keighley, studied Constructed Textiles, specialising in woven textiles, at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. Shortly after graduating in 2013 she joined the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Scheme which provided mentoring and a loan, enabling her to set up a studio and buy her first loom. In 2016 she set up Adriana Homewares, which designs and makes luxurious, colourful interiors, soft furnishings and fabrics, inspired by Yorkshire landscapes.

Each collection starts out as an experiment of colour and pattern, hand dyed and hand woven on a traditional loom in the company's Leeds studio. "I can't thank the Prince's Trust enough - the enterprise course enabled me to start out as self employed," says Adriana. "Then my brother-in-law, Simon Powers, came on board. He has worked in interior design and is an accountant by trade. With our business, it's all about how the fabric is made. The entire design and manufacturing process, from wool sorting to finishing, takes place here in Yorkshire."

The family business creates various collections of cushions, throws, lamp shades, scarves and baby blankets in a range of colours; from soft pastel shades to rustic browns and stylish greys. Designs include bold and subtle checks and stripes.

The products are made from Bluefaced Leicester wool. "Creating the yarn is a very important stage in our homeware production. The right fleece creates a yarn that makes products to last a lifetime," says Adriana. "Bluefaced Leicester is 100per cent British and a perfect breed for our needs. It's a long lustre wool, with long fibres, and produces a yarn that's hard wearing yet soft to the touch. It's both fine and durable - perfect for upholstery and soft furnishings that are long lasting and continue to look good. And its naturally waxy coating makes for a more stain resistant, anti-static fabric."

"The raw fleece comes to the British Wool Board, in Bradford, where we pick it up, then it's washed and sent to Laxtons Ltd in Baildon to be carded."

The dyeing process is where Adriana's creative thinking kicks in. "I hand dye small amounts in the studio and experiment on the handloom with colour-ways and designs," she says. "We use the Pantone system to match the hand-dyed yarn to colour swatches and once we're satisfied with a colour palette, we take the ideas to the dyer."

After experimenting with patterns and detail on her hand loom, Adriana sends designs to Pennine Weavers in Keighley, where the designs are brought to life via a state-of-the-art computerised warping machine. The woven fabric then goes to WT Johnsons & Sons in Huddersfield to be finished. "The fabric is then delivered to our studio in Leeds where we hand make our products," says Adriana. "Every stage of production is within West Yorkshire, which is good for the region, and our carbon footprint."

Adriana's designs are inspired by Yorkshire's natural beauty. The Howardian range draws on the soft rolling Howardian Hills, in North Yorkshire. The Whitby range was designed in collaboration with Bradford actress Natalie Anderson's fashion, beauty and lifestyle website, reflecting her love of the seaside town. There's a sense of the sea in the tranquil blue colour scheme and soothing stripes and wave-like designs.

The Tadcaster range, bold blue and earthy brown, reflects the strength and unity of the town following the collapse of its 18th century bridge in the 2015 floods. And the Helmsley range, inspired by the pretty North Yorkshire market town, features green and black in striking, tartan-like designs reflecting the town's lay-out.

Adriana has weaving in her blood. "My mum's grandad made looms, which may explain why I love them!" she smiles. "When I was at university I was drawn to interiors and textile art. I like to design products that have a timeless appeal, something to have in the home for a long time. Our products are hand finished with a personal touch."

* Adriana Homewares will be at the Designjunction trade show during London Design Week from September 20-23.

* Visit adrianahomewares.com, email contact@adrianahomewares.com or go to Instagram @_adrianahome