A visit to Tighedouine

It’s taken a couple of days to process my visit to the women weavers in Tighedouine. I went in with a few elements of my carpet in mind – the design was far from finished but I was already feeling a bit dissatisfied. I couldn’t envision how to lay all the elements out onto one carpet and was having trouble identifying exactly what I wanted to reflect.

I was open to changing the design and I wanted to learn about the process. Thanks to a demonstration by the weavers and some insightful conversations with Mohamed, my guide and interpreter for the day, I have a much clearer image of what I want.

A brief look at the process: During my visit, I got a first-hand look at the extensive weaving process. Setting up the loom, alone, can take hours.  Weavers will then work from the bottom up, measuring as they go to create the design.

Weaving is detailed and time-intensive work. Hand-knotted carpets involve individual knots which can include wool or strips of cotton rags. Flat weaving is even more time-consuming.

A large project can take several women 6 weeks to complete, working 15 hour days. A wider piece requires more than one weaver, and communication is key for consistency.

A change in direction. While I watched the weavers set up the loom, I told Mohamed what I had in mind and where I was struggling. He understood my vision and suggested that I might want to have several pieces – on the floor, on the wall, or a combination.  He also suggested mixing hand-knotted and hand-woven on the same piece to give added texture, and told me how to reflect colour on the drawn design so that my directions were clear.

Most importantly, he said I should stop worrying about what the weavers could accomplish and focus on what I really wanted.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the last couple of days staring into space and trying to imagine the finished product. My vision is clearer now.

I have decided to set aside the idea of a carpet. Instead, I’m going to design four wall hangings, representing a timeline from my ancestry to the present and my hope for the future. My matriline will be there, as will courage, faith, community, growth, joy and more. I’m excited to keep going and look forward to seeing the pieces take shape as I continue to work with The Anou and the women I met on my visit to Tighedouine

The importance of The Anou. I want to take a moment to talk about the importance of cooperatives like The Anou. If it weren’t for The Anou, the weavers of Tighedouine would need to make their way into Marrakech to sell their products where they would be at the whim of the middle hand. Promised payments might be missed or delayed, and transportation and other costs would eat into their profit. And you would be paying a much higher price.

The Anou provides supplies and manages shipping and other administrative tasks. They also run a website where artisans can sell their products. If you are considering buying a beautiful hand-made carpet or other artisan products from Morocco, consider the importance of supporting the artisan fully and make your purchase online through The Anou. Better yet, make a trip to Morocco and book an experience like the one I had!