Our web site features many clothing from our stores, since each are done uniquely an exact order as in the picture might not be available. We usually have very close substitutes that we'll recommend. Substitutes usually have different colors, pattern sizes or other similar variations.

The hand made process takes the raw cotton from the market to the "Shemane's" (traditional Ethiopian weavers) place of work. There the cotton is separated from the seed and piled one side.

Once the pile of cotton is seed and dirt free, its stretched into a string by a slow process. This process is a fully manual and tedious one if you look at the color picture above the two women sitting, the one of the right is using her hands draw the cotton into strings. The woman sitting to the left is using a manually operated machine to 'stain' or 'color' some of the strings so they can be used for the colorful patterns that are sawn into the shawls or clothes.

Once the strings are prepared and made in to a bowl, the Shemane uses weaving machine (on the color picture where the man is sitting and operating a manual weaving machine) to make the gabi - shawls, dresses or shirts.

Once the cotton is turned into fabric, then the actual patterns are sawn in by hand. This whole process will take days and is not conducive to mass production; but for getting that one of a kind shawl or cultural cloth to wear and adore the 100% handmade process is the sure way.