Say hello to Francesca, of Bartalini, whose decades long love of art and making have combined to form a creative business selling her own hand-printed scarves, pashminas, garments and accessories.

Francesca uses eco-printing techniques to transform silk, wool and other natural fibre garments using the natural colours and shapes of leaves and flowers to produce unique designs. Every piece “holds a connection to the earth, craftsmanship and a slower way of living”.

Francesca spent many years overseeing the creative departments of a number of different companies, but she has always found time for her own individual creative expression. Now she’s proud to bring her artistry to Shrewsbury Market Hall.

Design and craftsmanship run deep in her family blood. Francesca has been making and creating since she was very young, and nature has been her primary source of inspiration.

Francesca grew up in Tuscany where, from the age of five or six, she recalls helping her mother who crafted leather shoes for a living. The young Francesca learned from her father, a carpenter, who taught her country craft skills, creating her own objects from willow and vegetation. She spent time learning from her grandfather too, also a carpenter, and her grandmother, a countrywoman who worked on the land and passed on her knowledge of nature and farming. Francesca even made her own toys.

She describes her family as poor, but happy. But she was also inspired creatively by an uncle, who in contrast to her family, was one of the richest people in Italy. Influential in the world of high fashion in the 1980s, his company produced luxury handbags for designer labels such as Gucci, Prada, and Bottega Veneta.

“I remember, as a child, going to his showroom which was attended by international people. I was free to have anything I wanted, but there I also learned how luxury things needed to be made and the difference between something ordinary and something luxurious and beautiful,” she says.

Unable to find at an art college close to home Francesca initially took a job in retail. She was able to make some money as an artist too. At 25 she returned to college and studied humanities and design.

At 33 she moved to Florence and worked there for five years before moving to Edinburgh, where she met her husband James. They moved with a new job to Shropshire in 2018. Francesca studied graphic design for three years before discovering the art of eco-printing, learning from the textile artist Nicola Brown in Ireland.

Francesca set up Bartalini Eco and began selling online last year. She also started trading on the barrow in the market hall, before securing a permanent stall last November. James is also involved in the business.

Bartalini follows a sustainable practice, fashioning pure silk scarves and woollen scarves and pashminas from recycled fabrics then using the technique of eco-printing to transform them into ‘wearable art’.

Eco-printing is a sustainable craft and printing method that transfers natural colours and shapes from leaves and flowers onto fabric or paper using water and heat. It involves gentle pressure and cooking techniques that preserves the natural tannins and pigments of the plants, binding them to the fibres.

“The result is a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces where the artistry of handcrafting meets the timeless beauty of nature.”

Scarves start from £48. Bartalini also eco-prints accessories, such as pencil cases and make-up bags, and garments like silk blouses.

Francesca offers reiki therapy and tarot readings too.

For further information visit bartaliniecoprint.co.uk.