Sustainability “Bedouin Style”

Sabine — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 11:25:15 +0000

“Why do we need that anymore?” I often ask my husband when he picks some rusty screws or a plastic box out of the garbage that I threw away. “We’ll know that when the time comes,’ he says most of the time and hoards his valuable finds in some corner. Much remains then for many years on these “Messie islands”, with which I gave up already long ago to tidy them up. But some hooks or plastic cans have found further use as lamp suspensions or storage boxes for small things.

As incomprehensible as my husband’s garbage rescue actions sometimes seem to me, I respect them as much as I do now. The desert life is barren and the people who live here would never get the idea to throw away something that could be used as a spare part or to repair something else. Even torn garments are mended, broken stockings stuffed. Anything that no longer fits is changed. Clothes are often sewn by oneself and textile remnants are used, for example, to make small bags and pouches, which then – lovingly embroidered – shine as new pieces of jewellery.

In the meantime, the Bedouin women from the Catharine region also buy the fabric remnants from the textile production in Egypt to produce their small bags and pouches. This is also the reason why hardly any of their pieces look like the other. They are not produced in series. Their lovingly crafted unique pieces are beguilingly beautiful and help to avoid waste. They always remind me to think twice when I want to throw something away again.

If you would like to know, how I met my husband and founded sandmade, please read my first blog post “How love became sandmade”

Der Beitrag Sustainability “Bedouin Style” erschien zuerst auf sandmade desert design.

How love became sandmade desert design

Sabine — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 05:46:23 +0000

I’ve been happily married to my Egyptian husband for nine years. Through him I got to know the culture of this wonderful country and the handicrafts of the Bedouin women. Their beautifully embroidered, colorful individual pieces in ethno-look inspired me immediately and so I decided to support the work of the Egyptian women. I would like to share their traditional and uniquely beautiful embroidery with the world in this webshop. So I want to contribute to keep this special craft alive by offering my customers high quality and stylish Ethical Fashion.

The Home of the Bedouin Women

Embedded in a breathtaking landscape at the foot of the famous mountain Sinai, lies the village of St. Catherine. The small desert village is named after the nearby Byzantine monastery, one of the oldest and most famous in the world. The Jabaleya Bedouins have found their home there and have been living in this village since about the 6th century. Formerly used by the Roman Emperor Justinian as soldiers and craftsmen of the monastery, they now earn their living as artisans and tourist guides. About 500 Bedouin women earn their living through creative handwork. By producing fair trade fashion and accessories and selling them to visitors to the village, they ensure their survival.

The Bedouin Women's Embroidery - An almost extinct Art Craft

The traditional handicraft of sewing and embroidery is passed down through the generations among the Bedouin women. By selling their manufactured fair trade goods, they can earn an income that enables them to ensure the survival of their families. The origin of the craft lies with the shepherds, who took sugar bags for their tea and bags for their instruments to the mountains, where they embroidered them artistically while herding goats.

Small Works of Art with Needle and Thread - Inspired by Nature

Inspired by the picturesque landscape and the flora and fauna of their homeland, they create unique embroideries. Fruit and olive trees, the camels of the Bedouins in the village and the beloved mountains spark the creativity of the women and produce in this way exceptionally beautiful works of art. The Jabaleya are the only Bedouin tribe who do not only decorate their handicrafts with geometric motifs, but also use their homeland as a model for their design. Thus the spirit of the South Sinai lives in her work and makes it even more unique. There are no recorded patterns. Therefore their art is threatened with extinction. Projects like my webshop www.sandmade-desertdesign.de want to prevent this and keep this wonderful culture alive and share it with the world.

sandmade desert design enables many Women to lead a better Life

The Bedouin women live from selling their lovingly embroidered and beautiful goods to tourists. Unfortunately, tourism has declined dramatically in recent years due to the Egyptian Revolution, making it increasingly difficult for women to earn a living for their families. I made it my business to support the Bedouin tribe of the Jabaleya out of love for the people, their homeland Egypt and their fascinating handicrafts. So I sell their exceptionally beautiful and colorful Ethical Fashion not only here in my webshop, but also on designer markets and in my Etsy-Shop. In this way I contribute to the Bedouin women’s livelihood. With every unique item you buy, you also support their traditional handicrafts and make sure that the families live well and that their children can go to school. Add the special charm of the South Sinai desert to your look and do something good for the Bedouin women.

Mehr über mich erfährst du hier.

Der Beitrag How love became sandmade desert design erschien zuerst auf sandmade desert design.