Hello dear friends of Loom Tree! Happy June to everyone! This month I am not greeting you from the beautiful Antigua Guatemala but rather the bustling megapolis of Istanbul! I'm sorry of this post is a little late this month, but the seeds I planted last year here in Turkey are finally bearing fruit. I hope to soon show off some of these great collaborations. However, while these dreams come together, I want to take a moment to highlight some of our smaller items, many of which are in effect part of a limited production. I'm referring to all the things we are able to do with the spare pieces of material that are left over in our shop. From bread baskets, oven-mits, hot pads, tortilleras, and even stylish purses, we really do make good use of every yard of fabric we produce. After all, in our business throwing away the so called "scraps" is essentially throwing away hours of a person's hard work. Not only is this more sustainable, it is also a chance for us to have a little fun and add variety to our stock.
For years Loom Tree has been known for producing bedspreads, pillows, curtains, placemats, and our famous hammocks. However, if you know our store you will surely notice that we are not limited to those products alone. You may notice that we routinely will have all sorts of accessories that come and go throughout the year. The longtime favorites are the breadbaskets and hot pads that you can get to match our placemats and napkins to really bring your dining room set together. And for everyone keen on the delicious Guatemalan cuisine we even started making tortilleras to keep your tortillas warm throughout the meal. Of course, as with everything our skilled team does, these items come out with the same degree of polish that all our products enjoy, and therefore it is sometimes a bit of a surprise for people when they learn that these items are really made with all the spare bits of fabric that get discarded.
One product that many of our female patrons have truly enjoyed in the last couple years are our limited edition purses. One of the greatest qualities of our fabrics is the "feel" they have. It is one of the reasons people are so much more impressed with our work in person than they otherwise would be by just looking at a picture. There is something to be said about the feeling of a hand-woven textile under your fingertips. With this in mind we thought why not make a purse out of it so you can carry this feeling with you, even outside your house. Of course, since these are made with the spare bits, they effectively become a limited edition as there is no telling if and when we will ever have the same kind of spare bits lying about again! Notice how we play with combining different motifs and patterns. Again, this is all dependent on what we have left over from our core production.
So dear friends of Loom Tree, next time you visit us in Antigua make sure to take a look at what we've concocted in our workshop because there is a chance it won't be there next time you come by!
Wishing you all a great start to the summer!
Sincerely,
Carmen