WHEN Geri Copsey’s grandmother worked as a weaver in West Yorkshire’s textile industry, little did she know that her granddaughter would follow in her footsteps.

Only Geri does not work alongside other weavers in a mill, operating mechanised equipment, as did her grandmother. She has taken a step further back in the history of the industry and plies her trade at a traditional wooden loom.

Shuttle in hand, she expertly weaves the yarn, or weft, over and under the longer, tighter threads - the warp - to create unique fashion accessories that are as stylish as they are practical. Combining woven textile with leather, her products - from the aptly named business Fibre & Hide - are fresh and different.

Crafted in eye-catching geometric patterns, the imaginative designer’s clutch bags and purses cry out to be admired and handled: the combination of texture and striking design giving the pieces a fresh, vibrant appeal.

“Clutch bags are so versatile, whether dressing up or dressing down, they can be used for any occasion,” she says. “They are the perfect size to fit all your essential items.”

Fabric and leather purses are new to this year’s collection. “Some people use them as clutches - You can still fit in your phone, lipstick and money,” she adds. “They are very tactile products - people feel a need to touch them.”

Quirky leather tassel key rings are popular too, which she stitches by hand.

From an early age Yorkshire-born Geri had leanings towards the creative arts. A former pupil at Woodhouse Grove School in Apperley Bridge, she went on to study a foundation course at Leeds College of Art, working for the first time with textiles.

“It was completely new to me and I loved it,” she says. “I’m a practical person and love making things, using my hands, so I decided to specialise in it.”

At Falmouth University in Cornwall she studied textile design, of which weave formed part. “I chose to focus on woven textiles,” she says. “I love the fact that you are actually making a fabric yourself, rather than putting patterns on a fabric.”

Learning to use a loom may have been a laborious process, and one which may of Geri’s fellow students avoided, but she took to it like a duck to water.

“I had not come across it before and loved it,” she says.

While most people would not associate such an art form with mathematics, there is a fair bit of number crunching associated with weave, adds Geri, who works from a studio in Menston.

“People are surprised - you don’t think of textiles as something mathematical. When I am planning designs the warp has to be set a certain way. You have to plan the ‘liftings’ that the weft goes across and plan the placement of the threads.”

Working with a range of fabrics, she hit upon an idea to design a handbag that combined a woven textile with leather.

“A project on menswear involved a collection based on oil spills and their metallic-like mingling of colours. I used leather to weave in that project, which is where the initial idea came from,” she says.

Later, in a collection of womenswear, she experimented, combining leather with lambswool.

“A lot of people choose a plain bag to go with an outfit, but I like the idea of something that makes a statement.”

Supplementing her skills on a leather making courses, she now combines the flexible, durable material with a wool and cotton mix, sourcing thread from the Ilkley-based leading British wool wholesaler Knoll Yarns. Leather comes from a supplier in Italy.

Much of her work at university - where she gained a first class honours degree - involved geometric patterns, which she has carried through to her current designs. Architecture, graphic and structural forms are among her main influences.

“I do lots of drawing and collating of images I like,” she says. “I am always looking for ideas and inspiration in the weirdest if things. I love working with colour and pattern.”

She loves the association with the textile industry of her home county and the fact that her grandmother worked in it. “I have grown up with textiles. My grandma worked as a weaver at Abraham Moon in Guiseley, starting at the age of 16. She told me lots of stories about it. Most of the people living in the area worked there.”

Geri’s final dissertation involved research into the Yorkshire mill industry, during which she visited Abraham Moon and A.W. Hainsworth in Pudsey - both thriving, mills.

Proud of her roots, she names her wares after Yorkshire towns and villages: Cullingworth, Grassington, Burnsall, Malham and many more. Sales are mainly online through the Fibre & Hide website, as well as Hawksby’s gallery in Haworth.

Future projects include larger bags, introducing new patterns and colour and working with new fabrics such as silk for evening bags.

“I am working on shoulder bags and would like to expand the range to possibly include laptop cases and make-up bags. I would like to expand into menswear too.”

Her grandmother is delighted with Geri’s love of the loom. “She is really pleased and loved my products,” adds Geri.

*W:fibreandhide.co.uk; E: studio@fibreandhide.com; T: 01943 884282