Foutas were originally used as Hammam towels in the traditional Turkish baths and were essential accessories for women during the Ottoman Empire. Tunisia is considered as one of the first countries that produces Fouta towels.Nowadays, this lovely striped swath of fabric has a variety of uses , it may serve as tablecloth, towel, throw, table runner, rug, curtain - or it can simply be a decorative piece. All depends on your needs!
Traditional Foutas are very light; they fall into dimensions like 100*200 cm. So, they are easily taken with us and put in our baskets when we go the the beach or to the Hammam. However, Foutas are now weaven in larger dimensions; 160*250 cm for instance, which allows to use them as a home decoration accessories.
This handicraft is becoming trendy for it is ,now, made with a mixture of colors and woven in different techniques. In fact, there are two weaving methods of Fouta:
-The flat weaves or le tissage plat: This may remind us of the high quality absorption of our grandmothers’ tea towels because this method allows the fouta to be more and more supple, soft and absorbent. The cotton yarn that is used is a dyed woven one. It is dyed before being woven and this ensures the maintenance of bright colors both in the sun and in the washing machine.
- The Honey Comb weaves or le tissage nid d'abeille: The name of this technique is inspired from the hexagonal honeycomb cells of wax in which bees store their honey. These weaves form ridges and hollows which give a cell like appearance to the textures. Both warp and weft threads float somewhat on both sides, which coupled with the rough structure, render this class of fabric readily absorbent of moisture.
In sum, Our Fouta is artfully hand-woven on looms using 100% ecological cotton. These extraordinary handcrafted Foutas will accompany you every day at home, beach, and pool. You will need them whenever and wherever you go!
Visit our collection on https://www.qartaj.com/categories/home-and-living/towel-blankets for more information about our handmade Tunisian Foutas.
Written by Maroua Mejri
