Giselle from Slings I Love

Hello Giselle!
I'd like to ask you 7 questions:

1. How did the idea of weaving your EG was born?
I like the idea of being able to put the colors you love together to create a beautiful design.

2. When your first EG was made?
Tropical Sea was made in the Spring of 2009.

3. How many EG's have been woven for you so far?
There's Tropical Sea, Magnolia, Sorbet, Felice, Candy Drop and Wrapper's Paradise for Slings I Love. Then for Piece of Cloth there's Blue Lagoon.

4. Do you weave your designs only once or repeatedly?
Most of the time it's only once.

5. Who creates the designs for you?
Most are created by me along with my family. Wrappers Paradise and Blue Lagoon were designed through a design competition.

6. Do you create your EG's according to a certain key? Could you tell us your secret?
The only secret is that I use colors I really love.

7. Are you planning to weave new EG's? When? What kind?
I do have ideas on colorways, but we are also working on developing our own woven wrap so am saving those ideas for our brand.

Kindly,
~Giselle

Amelie from Sonnenschnuckel

Hello Amelie! I'd like to ask you 7 questions

1. How did the idea of weaving your EG was born?
I planned it a long time, because it is so fascinating to me to have and see a wrap with my own ideas and colours!
2. When your first EG was made?
Spring 2010
3. How many EG's have been woven for you so far?
The first is going to weave soon!
4. Do you weave your designs only once or repeatedly?
I plan to do every design only one time.
5. Who creates the designs for you?
Myself and friends.
6. Do you create your EG's according to a certain key? Could you tell us your secret?
It's only important to have different edges so its easiert to wrap.
7. Are you planning to weave new EG's? When? What kind?
Fall/winter 2010 - green and red for christmas time!

Thank you very much!
~Ola

History

Interview with owners of GIRASOL company
Wolfgang Blaum, Gerhard Engelmann & Camilla Wurm
Ola: When did the Girasol company start?
Wolfgang: We started to import handwoven textiles and handicraft to Germany in 1983 after extensive travelling in Central America and Mexico.Ola:What kind of handicraft did you carry in the beginning?
Camilla:Of course, we carried the very popular rebozos in our program: the traditional shawls, used as protection against the cold or the strong sun and/or to carry goods and babies.
Ola:Could you tell us a little bit more about rebozos?
Camilla:These colourful textiles, woven in plain (canvas) weave, are about 70 cm wide, carry stripes in Ikat and usually come with fringes. The length of the traditional rebozos varies, but its seldom longer than 1.80 m.
Ola:When did you start selling baby carriers?
Gerhard:We imported these rebozos and sold them as Ikat shawls, but they were sporadically used to carry babies in the cradle or for toddlers in the hipseat.
With a minor, but constant demand for baby carriers we started to commission rebozos in certain sizes around the mid 80-ies, providing different length from 1.80 m up to 2.40 m.Ola:Who are the people you work with?
Gerhard:They are Maya Indians from the highlands of Guatemala
Ola:Could tell us about the weavers?
Gerhard:In that time, we worked with the family business of Carlos Xuruc Tzoc from Totonicapan. Carlos later quit weaving and went into politics.
We cooperated then already with the family business of Pedro Alba, from Sta. Lucia Utatlan, but at that times he just wove fabric and belts for us. Since approx. 1992 Pedro Alba weaves solely for Girasol, two of his sons, who are in their 20-ies are weavers as well.Ola:What are the weaving techniques they use?
Gerhard:The textiles are woven with the treadle weaving chair, which was introduced by the Spanish. Girasol abandoned the traditional canvas weft for denim and later for twill weft, following the demand of our clients.
Ola:What kind of cotton do you use?
Camilla:We use 100% cotton from traditional cultivation, since there is no organic cotton available in Guatemala.
Ola:What about colour dyes?
Camilla:The cotton is dyed in a workshop in Quetzaltenengo Guatemala, which itself is a foreign aid project, supporting and training native micro entrepreneurs in Guatemala. The utilised colours are in accordance with European safety and environment standards.
Ola:Did you try any other raw materials for weaving?
Gerhard:We experimented briefly with (sheep) wool, but were not satisfied with the results.
Ola:Do you import traditional baby carriers from other countries also?
Wolfgang:Around the year 2001, we explored the possibility to obtain customised Mexican rebozos (the original ones are too short for our customers ), but learned, that they are mostly machine-woven. So we produce wraps solely in Guatemala.
Ola:How did you come up with the idea of weaving Girasol Exclusive wraps?
Gerhard:The whole idea to enable our clients to create an own design, which started around 2003, goes back to proposals from the clients themselves. First, there were just wishes to have wraps in undyed cotton, or in a solid color, this developed into the idea/wish of a customised design.
Ola:Who launched the first Girasol Exclusive wrap?
Gerhard:We are quite sure, that the honor of initiating this process is due to "Mapekka" from Finland.
Ola:What are your plans for the nearest future?
Camilla:At present we are developing lkat designs for the Girasol wraps and
we will start to produce a Girasol Mei Tai in the nearest future.
Ola: Thank you very much for the interview!