Leuke foto van één van de werkneemster van onze Ethiopische leverancier van de sjaals.
FINISHING the shawls. An explanation about the Ethiopian product.
Once the products are washed and air-dried in the Sabahar garden, we have a team of dedicated women who “finish” each product and ensure it is ready to go out for export. One group hand twists and knots each fringe. Another group will do the sewing for those products that may require it like our cushions, scarves with eyelash fringes and resort wear.
Every product is pressed through our large ironing machine. Once ironed, the finishing department removes any small extra threads, cuts the ends of the fringes so they are uniform and hand sews on labels. This final phase is also where we scrutinize each piece to ensure it is sales-worthy.
The products are finally packaged and shipped to more than seventeen different countries around the world.
For over 20 years this company has operated as a woman-owned Fair Trade business based in Ethiopia. Our unique hand-crafted textiles, made exclusively of natural fibers, are sold all over the world. Our vision is to preserve ancient weaving and spinning traditions and contribute to Ethiopia’s development by providing reliable employment and equitable pay for hundreds of artisans.
OUR ORIGINS
Ethiopia has the oldest and most prolific textile weaving tradition in all of East and Southern Africa. From all ethnic backgrounds, men have been weaving on hand looms and women have been spinning cotton on drop spindles for centuries.
These skills, passed down through generations, are reflected in the beauty and uniqueness of every Sabahar piece. When you purchase our products, the land and its people are woven into them. Weaving is practiced throughout the country, with each community having its own unique techniques and designs. In the north, weavers are skilled in using 4-harness looms creating detailed textures and designs. In the south, weavers are experts in working with heavy weight cotton threads to create luxurious, knobbly cotton blankets.
In our small community around Kore, Addis Ababa we are fortunate to have weaving families who migrated from various areas of the country- bringing a great variety of skills and techniques. All our cotton and most of our silk is produced in Ethiopia. Many of our natural dyes are from plants, insects and seeds found locally. We strive to produce the highest quality handmade products using the gifts of the craft and the raw materials our country provides.
