Most Ethiopian handweavers work in their own homes on simple but extremely practical looms such as this one. Sabahar employs home-based weavers. Paid on a production basis, these weavers are kept busy full-time with our orders. Sabahar upgrades their weaving equipment, provides training on new techniques and designs, gives solar lights if required, and establishes a savings fund for each of them, contributed by both Sabahar and the weavers. Sabahar products are proudly made with 100% Ethiopian Cotton which is handspun by women all over Addis Ababa.
A small number of their weavers have been training with 6 to 8-foot pedals (called treadles). The number of treadles is related to the number of harnesses, as pressure on a treadle pulls down the connected harness opening the shed through which the shuttle carrying the weft thread is passed. This process of opening the shed with various combinations of warp threads greatly increases the ease with which designs can be woven. Traditional looms in Ethiopia have two harnesses and treadles for simple weaving. Complicated designs are created by picking up warp threads by hand, which is very tedious and time-consuming.
Last year, Sabahar shipped a staggering 64,894 hand-loomed products around the world, an 80% increase from 2020! Thanks to the steady orders from loyal customers, they have been able to hire seven new at-home weavers and three new in-house weavers, bringing the total to just over 100 weavers. Thanks to the increase in orders from 2021, the number of women who spin cotton for Sabahar dramatically increased from 40 to close to 200.
Most Ethiopian handweavers work in their own homes on simple but extremely practical looms such as this one. Sabahar employs home-based weavers. Paid on a production basis, these weavers are kept busy full-time with our orders. Sabahar upgrades their weaving equipment, provides training on new techniques and designs, gives solar lights if required, and establishes a savings fund for each of them, contributed by both Sabahar and the weavers. Sabahar products are proudly made with 100% Ethiopian Cotton which is handspun by women all over Addis Ababa.
A small number of their weavers have been training with 6 to 8-foot pedals (called treadles). The number of treadles is related to the number of harnesses, as pressure on a treadle pulls down the connected harness opening the shed through which the shuttle carrying the weft thread is passed. This process of opening the shed with various combinations of warp threads greatly increases the ease with which designs can be woven. Traditional looms in Ethiopia have two harnesses and treadles for simple weaving. Complicated designs are created by picking up warp threads by hand, which is very tedious and time-consuming.
Last year, Sabahar shipped a staggering 64,894 hand-loomed products around the world, an 80% increase from 2020! Thanks to the steady orders from loyal customers, they have been able to hire seven new at-home weavers and three new in-house weavers, bringing the total to just over 100 weavers. Thanks to the increase in orders from 2021, the number of women who spin cotton for Sabahar dramatically increased from 40 to close to 200.
Sabahar is a haven of green space in the middle of Addis Ababa. Only minutes from the International Community School, it is a perfect spot to visit, learn and shop. Their workshop is open to the public. It is where they produce and sell all of their beautiful textiles. On site they have weavers, spinners, dyers and finishers. There are also silk caterpillars on site! Yes, you can even meet the caterpillars and learn how silk is made.
Working hours: Monday- Friday 8:30-5:00pm, Saturday 10:00-5:00pm
Phone: +251-11-321-5112 / 3
Mekanissa (behind Salem Nurses College)
https://sabahar.com/store/AddisShop
https://www.facebook.com/SabaharEthiopia