Artisan Bath and Beach Towel Weaving - Turkey. Meet Kadir.

Harfi - Bath and Beach Towel Artisan Turkey

Kadir, next to a 50+ year old wooden loom, in his atelier

"Every day I sat with my grandmother by the wooden loom until I lost her. I could not imagine that the craft that she taught me for many years would make sense of my life one day" 

Kadir, our towel artisan partner in Turkey

 

Location: Turkey

Craft: Foutas/ peshmetals/ hammam towels

Materials Used: Turkish cotton; a premium, soft cotton that is lightweight and super absorbent

Background: Kadir's late grandmother used to hand loom towels, which were sold to the local shops downtown and to the bazaar. Every summer Kadir would find himself...

next to the weaving loom, which were set up in every corner of his grandmothers' house. Working from a small atelier in his house and with his Grandmothers knowledge in hand, he now personally designs and creates wonderfully unique peshmetal towels.

Harfi - artisan bath and beach towels wooden loom

The weaving loom

Technique: The cotton is loaded up onto the loom in rolls. A pattern is then used to create the main "body" of the towel. After the weaving is complete the fringes are cut and it is ready for knitting. Next, the tassels are then braided onto the towel. The towels are then inspected to ensure they are the right quality (sometimes they have been weaved incorrectly because of the settings or thread and the materials are recycled to make pillow covers). Lastly the towels are ironed to make sure they are presentable before being sent off.

Harfi - artisan bath and beach towels fringes

After the weaving is complete, the fringes are cut and it is ready for knitting

Interesting Fact: Turkish towels were invented in the 17th century in Bursa, Turkey, They are considered to be the first towel invented so they are real classics!

 

Shop our artisan bath and beach towels here


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