The Oriole Mill is a new weaving operation, started in the midst of a dramatic decline of the United States’ textile industry, with used equipment and new ideas. Its aim is to produce not for the mass market, but for discerning users of fabrics. We produce for wholesalers, retailers and entrepreneurs who will construct products using our fabrics. Some of those entrepreneurs (such as galleries) are retailers, also.
Many of our clients are designers, or purchasing agents for manufacturers of finished goods. Or artists producing fabrics to be displayed in museums, galleries, or open spaces. We have somewhat changed direction, having had some bad experiences with how others handle our fabrics. We will be producing more finished products than originally planned. For that purpose we have initiated a small cut-and-sew operation.
So what makes us different? Among our Jacquard looms, no two are alike. We have setups from one to four harnessed repeats across the width, which varies from 54 to 120 inches. We weave at warp densities from 50 warp ends per inch to 195 per inch. We specialize in natural fibers, maintaining a supply of 100 percent long staple mercerized cotton from 20/2 to 60/2 sizes. We also weave wool, linen, rayon, bamboo and other fibers.
We have industrial dobby looms but, more interestingly perhaps, five automated AVL shuttle looms weaving from 24 inches to 12 feet wide. We weave cotton and wool on the dobbies. The shuttle looms produce cloth indistinguishable from hand woven, featuring a true selvedge (where the filling wraps around the warp).
Any business will tell you it’s all about people. We have carefully selected not only expert and inventive designers, but extraordinary mill floor talent (warp, tie on, weave, fix) with extensive industry experience. Yet not one of them was working at a mill when we hired them, not because they had been laid off, but because of what we see as poor management practices that alienate the best workers. They had quit their previous jobs. They were happy to come to work with us. We are different.
We will design on Jacquard or dobby looms, for ourselves or to effectuate your concepts. We will also convert your designs.
We will appreciate if, before you contact us, you investigate our services in more detail. Start by reading about them on this site. In addition, we have produced several documents that you can download and print. You will come across them as you read various sections of this site; or you can find them all under Downloads.