Glossary

Tel Kirma

Copper-coated, silver-coated or gold-coated wires are embroidered on tulle, silk, or cotton cloth on an embroidery hoop using a special type of flat and long needle. This incredibly detailed work requires patience, good eyes, and passion. With Turkish origins, our “tel kirma” products are inspired by the diverse cultural heritage of the ancient country. Metallic gold embroidery melts into variegated linen for a design conversation at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, just like Turkey itself.

Point Lace

We mostly apply the crocheted lace style in our products which is made with a hook and thread. Generally, it uses finer threads and more decorative styles of stitching, often with flowing lines or scalloped edges to give interest. As far as we know, the history of it goes back to the 16th century. An early form of point lace was done by the Venetians then and other forms have evolved over time in Eastern Europe and Middle East regions.

Goldwork

It is the art of embroidery using metal threads. It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The threads of goldwork may be gold coated silver, copper or vice a verse. Goldwork was originally developed in Asia in Middle Ages and has traveled the world for at least 2000 years, however, it is currently a fairly uncommon skill. We are a big supporter of this art and not willing to let it extinct. We are also lucky to have one of the few talented designers who can still pass it to our day.

Beadwork

Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another by stringing them with a sewing needle or beading needle and thread or thin wire or sewing them to cloth. We believe this process was discovered first in Mesopotamia and then imported to ancient Egypt. They first discovered a mixture of powdered clays and lime, soda and silica sand. It was mixed with water to make a paste and molded around a small stick or bit of straw, then, ready to be fired into a bead. As the bead heated up, the soda, sand, and lime melted into the glass that incorporates and covers the clay. The result was a hard bead covered in bluish glass.

Felted Wool and Silk Bonding

For our artisan felted wool and silk products, we go through a very unique and delicate process. Silk is rubbed and shaped with the help of soap, warm water and sometimes olive oil in the hands of our talented designers to blend it with the felted wool. The bonding moment of the smooth silk and subtle felt is a charming event to watch. If the silk is printed, the colors on the silk are variegated which is inspired by a traditional art, Ebruli (Paper Marbeling) which turns the clothing to a complete art piece.

Maras Embroidery

It’s a type of goldwork originally coming from Maras, a city in the southeast of Turkey. The technique is very similar to Tel Kirma although the needle and threads are way thinner. The patterns symbolize traditional Central Asian and Anatolian cultures and the designs mostly tell a story from those times. It’s a very rare form of a handicraft art, yet particularly precious and valuable. The history of this embroidery goes back to the 11th century.