Linen herb sacks from Anna Champeney Estudio Textil in Galicia Spain
Here you can see my limited edition of mini stripey Herb Sacks with locally-grown lemon verbena (for lovely lemony herbal tisanes) for sale as christmas stocking fillers … or fun presents for ecologically-minded friends or family members as well as textile lovers!
The sacks are inspired by the traditional hand-woven Spanish farm versions – which some of my neighbours still use in fact. Until the 1950s or 1960s there were many hand-weavers in my area of north Spain (Galicia) and sacks were part of their everyday repertoire. But now I´m the only hand-weaver in the region now – and I´m not even Spanish in origin – but from Norfolk (UK)!
natural lemon verbena tisane
In the past all the linen was home-grown and spindle-spun – just imagine the hours of work involved in that! Now, to make the sacks as authentic as possible I source a special rustic linen which is un-treated with bleaching or dyeing chemicals – it still smells of plant in fact and has bits of woody flax stem embedded in it. I´m lucky to have this yarn as I don´t think it´s made any more – I bought up old stock.
The traditional, full-sized stripey sacks were used for anything and everything – from transporting rye and sweet chestnuts – my area is full of ancient groves of sweet chestnuts. Once you´ve finished the lemon verbena herb you can use the sacks for lots of other uses – we have one in our bathroom for our toothbrushes and toothpaste instead of a yucky toothpaste glass!) but they are equally good for clothes pegs, herbs and spices, nicknacks, letters …
101 uses around the home
Each sack is differently coloured with natural dyes, many of which I grow in my garden or are from local plants which are super-abundant and which I can collect sustainably – such as dock leaf root, onion and walnut, gorse, I also use logwood with copper for rich deep blacks, indigo for blues.
Note (June 2010) – All herb sacks featured here are SOLD but more will be available by summer 2010 – in colourways shown below and in 2 sizes – small (as shown here) and large (approx. 65cm x 42 cm)
Herb Sack Information:
- Size: 18 x 22cm (approx.)
- 75% linen, 25% wool with natural dyes
- Tisane – Add 1.5 tsp of herb to 1 cup of boiling water for a relaxing cup of herbal tisane
- Every sack is different – with different colourways and traditional stripe designs – because every one is individually hand-woven from Anna Champeney Estudio Textil´s ever-changing stock of natural dyes.
- Machine washable on wool cycle 30ºC. Gentle or no spin cycle. Iron when lightly damp
- Price: 25 pounds + 2.50 pounds p&p (for UK & rest of Europe)
- To buy contact: lluisyanna@terra.es
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