Glamorous weavings that smell of history, with stories hidden in each motif.
The rhythm of nature and the people of Şile presents a delicate gift to the world. The tale of Şile Fabric is woven into life itself. Even in the preparatory stages, Şile Fabric possesses a unique ritual, presenting the vibrant essence of life and a skillfully woven masterpiece where colors and threads come together harmoniously.
In the hands of the weaver, yarns are wrapped with patience and dance the dance of life on the loom. Şile Fabric weaves human labor and the breath of nature within every yarn, becoming an enchanting flora heralding the birth of a work of art. More than just a fabric, it embodies the fusion of traditions, nature, and human effort.
The delicate cotton threads are washed with the salty embrace of the Black Sea and dried in the sand, embracing nature’s touch. The salty fragrance of the sea and the warmth of the sand add a mystical atmosphere to the weaving process. Each yarn thread carries the wisdom of centuries, and the narrative of Şile Fabric is far from over.
After reaching the main form to be used, it’s time to whisper stories into the unique fabric. Each motif is embroidered as if to tell a story—sometimes the waves of the sea, the grace of nature, or local culture and historical works. This almost brings life to Şile Fabric, with each motif carrying the story of the past and hope for the future. This hand-woven fabric is ready to be with you for generations, with its tradition of knot-by-stitch.
We wish you to use your Şile Fabric product, which builds a bridge between the past and the future with its ancient story, in healthy days.
In a world where cultures and values are disappearing, Şile Fabric, with its centuries-old history, is one of the handicraft and special art products that can sustain its existence. Şile Fabric contributes significantly to Turkish culture and art by highlighting the importance of craftsmanship and traditional weaving techniques. The eye-catching fabric of Şile, which exudes a fragrance of history, continues to be woven with pure cotton yarn on handmade old looms, preserving their culture and values.
The Toil-Filled Story of Şile Fabric:
Groundwork
All the skeins colliding with water in a cauldron mark the beginning of the lengthy voyage of Şile Fabric. With the aid of two hands, these skeins are unraveled. A basin is filled with water, and these skeins are soaked for about 30 minutes.
Sizing
The skeins, now merged with water, aspire to gain durability.
Weaving Draft
Pure cotton yarns, now combined with a water and flour solution, are skillfully passed through reeds by the hands of Şile women before they arrive at the loom. Reeds are the wires through which the yarns on each frame pass. Half of the warp threads are passed through one frame and the other half through the second frame. The separation of frames into separate yarns occurs by crossing them. The other cross-developing row of the warp yarns is passed through the reed according to the distinctive feature of reed combing; this action is known as weaving draft.
Weaving Loom
Now it’s the turn of the black looms and the skillful hands directing them. The sound of spinning wheels surrounding the streets has begun shaping the yarns. After the newly passed yarns are knotted with the pre-existing ones on the loom, the warp yarns are ready to be woven. The cloths woven on the loom, whose strength consists of reed sley, footrest, and whip parts, are turned into balls of 45 cm, 90 cm, or 150 cm widths and 20 meters in length.
Washing and Drying
As it is washed in the slightly salty waters of Şile, it starts to discover its true identity. The Şile Fabric is repeatedly pounded and stirred in the seawaters in a bundled form. Now the washed fabrics meet Şile’s golden sandy shores, ready to dry. The sand and texture of the water have started to embed into the fabric’s weave, and Şile Fabric has regained its authentic essence.
Embroidery
Having gone through all the stages and stretched onto the embroidery hoop, this unique fabric is now ready to be embroidered by the hands of Şile women. Adorned with local motifs, Şile Fabric weavings have transformed into valuable products.
While Şile Fabric develops with the labor of the local people and turns into art, it attains its unique identity and finds its essence with Şile’s sea and sand.
Şile fabric entitled to receive the geographical indication title:
Geographical indication titled Şile Fabric is not merely a fabric crafted by the skillful hands of local weavers, but also a narrative in its own right.
Geographical indications are symbols showing products that have a distinctive quality and are identified with a specific province, area, region, or country based on reputation or other characteristics.
We applied for a geographical indication to protect the unique, cultural, and artistic value of Şile Fabric, and on 12.12.2017, Şile Fabric received the geographical indication, becoming the first geographically labeled product of Istanbul. The production stages specific to the region, and the traces and labor of Şile and its women in each weaving, stitching, and embroidering, make it necessary to protect this fabric. Our sole aim is to preserve the cultural values of Şile Fabric and make it sustainable.
Why Şile Fabric?
These fabrics, which become white and silky as they are washed, can be used for many years in a healthy and compatible way with the human body.
There are over 2000 anonymous embroidery motifs produced by Şile women, reflecting their dreams and traces of the past.
