a little about me...
I was born in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England and after a science based education went onto pursue my first love of art and design (a love that was nurtured by my late father - a talented amateur artist) by studying textile and knitwear design at Leicester Polytechnic – now De Montfort University. I was taught to hand knit and sew at an early age by my mother and in my twenties, I taught myself to crochet!
After leaving college with a first class honours degree, I went onto set up my own knitwear design label that sold in the US and Japan and many small retail outlets and galleries in the UK. It was during this time that I first became aware of Rowan and their beautiful range of yarns and became a fan. I was able to use Rowan yarns for hand flat machine knitting, as in the late 1980’s Rowan sold yarn on 250g cones as well as on ball. Even though my label was successful, in 1990 I decided to return back to commercial design after meeting my then to be husband! Through the 14 years as a designer for a successful knitwear manufacturer in Leicestershire, I saw many of my designs become apart of best selling collections for many of the British high street retailers such as Next, BHS, Burton and Debenhams.
In 2005, I joined the Rowan design team as Head Designer. In my role, I was responsible for the creative aspect of the Rowan Magazine and brochures. I designed and oversaw the design collections for the publications as well as the art direction and styling of most of the photography shoots. I was also responsible for the editorial content of the Rowan Magazine, briefing journalists and writing myself. I was also heavily involved with the development of new yarn ranges and the selection of new colours each season.
I started my own design company in 2013 whilst still working for Rowan, but in 2014 I suffered a heart attack which ended my career with Rowan. Whilst recovering and with the support of Rowan, I concentrated on growing my business by first self publishing books using Rowan yarns. In 2017 I was able to work completely independently and started to develop my own yarn, British Breeds, which launched in Autumn 2018. Alongside my yarn and books, I also hold the very popular Fairisle Club each year, produce a range of kits and hold regular day workshops in rural Leicestershire and workshop holidays throughout the UK.
I have lived for many years in rural Leicestershire but recently we have moved to Wensleydale in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, England.
I am happily married and we are the proud owners of two adorable German Pointers called Norah and Nelly.
My favourite colour is green... any shade of green.
Favourite yarns – British Breeds of course! I also love Spindrift from Jamieson's of Shetland and Felted Tweed from Rowan.
I love to walk, cook, garden and paint (when I have the time!)
Peter, Georgia & Frances
About my friends Peter, Georgia and Frances…
These talented people are the team that help me to bring my collections to life and I’m privileged to be able to call them my friends. I first worked with each of when I was head designer for Rowan.
Peter, I first worked with when the Rowan Studio brand was started in 2007. After that I worked with him on many Rowan photography shoots including the beautiful Russian Doll collection from Rowan Mag 48 and my final Rowan magazine shoots Wilderness and Craftwork in Rowan Mag 56. I was very lucky when Peter agreed to photograph for me when I started my own design company in 2013, and since then he has been the amazing photographer behind all my beautiful images and film clips.
Georgia is my stunning model. This beautiful lady is also a very talented actor and can be currently seen in the hit TV series Siren on US channel, Freeform. I first worked with her back in 2009 on the Purelife Autumn shoot. We worked together a few more times for Rowan and then in 2013 she thankfully agreed to be my model and the beautiful face of the Marie Wallin brand. Georgia now lives in Vancouver, Canada but still is happy to model for me and I hope that she will continue to do so for many years to come.
Frances is my lovely friend and a talented hair and makeup artist. I first worked with her on the same photography shoot that I worked with Georgia on in 2009. From the very first time we met, we got along really well and since then we have become good friends. Frances lives in Whitstable, Kent and is concentrating on developing her own beauty brand whilst still working on select professional photography shoots.
about delivery...
Delivery - Covid -19 Coronavirus
Please expect that your delivery may be slightly delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis. This is beyond our control so please be patient, your order will arrive. Please contact us by email if your order has not been received within 30 working days of the shipping confirmation notice.
Delivery - Normal
International Standard Royal Mail is used for all orders outside the UK unless a tracked service is selected. Once shipped, orders generally take 2-3 working days within the UK, 10-14 working days to reach the EU, US and Canada and a little longer to reach New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the Far East. If you have selected a tracked service then you will be emailed a tracking number on despatch.
In the unlikely event that your order does not arrive within 15 working days within the UK and 30 working days for all other destinations then your order will be replaced free of charge.
Delivery – Brexit
For the first few months of 2021, there may be delays to postal and courier services to both the EU and non EU countries. This will be due to the increased paperwork and bureaucracy at the ports of entry. Coupled with the current delays experienced due to the Coronavirus and the general increased demand for postal services, this could lead to significant delays to deliveries. We ask you to be patient as much as possible as your order will be delivered, we just do not know when. Hopefully these delays will subside as we all get used to the new trading processes in the spring, when also the disruptions caused by the Coronavirus will become less due to the various vaccination programs.
PLEASE CHECK THAT YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS IS CORRECT ON YOUR ORDER CONFIRMATION.
If you need to amend it then please contact us by email as soon as possible.
about returns...
If you are unhappy with your order and wish to make a return, please do so within 14 days of receipt and we will offer a full refund or exchange. If 14 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it.
It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned, including:
Fairisle Club membership after the first parcel has been received.
"Just for You" print on demand books.
Gift cards.
Downloadable patterns.
To complete your return please contact us by email. We require a receipt or proof of purchase or please quote your original shop order number.
about refunds...
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.
If it is approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to original method of payment, within 5 working days.
about exchanges...
We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, please contact us by email.
You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you have asked for an exchange then you will be charged for the shipping cost. Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item with a value of more than £50, you must use a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
about customer service...
wholesale enquiries...
If you are a book shop or yarn store and you wish to stock Marie’s British Breeds yarn and books, then please contact Marie by email.
inclusivity statement...
At Marie Wallin Designs Limited, we believe in creating a business that is welcoming to all. We pride ourselves on being a respectful business that promotes fairness and diversity. We are business supporters of BIPOC in Fiber and we stand together with those who wish to make lasting change to our industry and in wider society.