Keychain »Inspire & Believe« with Floral Ornament

Materials

• Cotton Canvas Webbing
• Jacquard Tape
• Metal Hardware

Dimensions

• Length: 15.5 cm / 6"
• Width: 2.5 cm / 1"

 

Woven bands, trims, ribbons and tape

Weaving is one of the oldest crafts in human history and has a long and rich history in Germany as well. In the early Middle Ages, in many regions of Germany increasing numbers of crafters settled and began to bleach, spin, dye, and weave yarn, offering their products in the process.

The slow disappearance of traditional band weaving

In the 19th century, machine factories increasingly took over textile production. In some of the traditional crafters and artisan areas, up to 80% of the population worked in the weaving trade or other forms of yarn processing, like spinning or dyeing. 

In modern days, though, weaving mills have more or less disappeared in Germany. Most of them have long discontinued production or have been converted into museums. However, a few traditional ribbon and band weaving companies still exist, especially in Bergisches Land, the Wupper valley, but also in Saxony, in Lusatia, and in Austria and Switzerland.

Limited availability and exclusive collections

Many of the ribbons I process come from such small, traditional ribbon weaving mills – partly from current collections, partly from old stocks and company liquidations. Occasionally, I use vintage and historical ribbons that I have collected from different countries during my travels over the years.

Because the ribbons and tapes I use are rarely mass-produced, but predominantly available in rather small quantities, the collections that feature woven borders are necessarily limited. Some vintage trims are manufactured into exclusive one-of-a-kind pieces only. This naturally restricts availability and many pieces are sold out as soon as they are listed in the shop.

Please keep this in mind when making your selection and if you want to be on the safe side… don’t wait too long with your buying decision if and when you like a particular item.