THE STORY OF IKAT
Words by Ez, Creature Comforts
Photography by Sparrow & Co.

Ikat | ee-kaht

Fabric made using an Indonesian decorative technique in which warp or weft threads, or both, are tie-dyed before weaving.

Ikat – pronounced ee-kaht - is a unique dyeing technique used to create beautiful prints in woven textiles.

The artisan first begins by arranging warp strings (the term used for yarn that will be placed lengthwise in a loom) into bundles. He/she then binds each bundle with recycled bicycle tire tubing to form dye-resistant areas and then individually dyes each yarn bundle.

After dyeing, the fibers are carefully unwrapped and the varied colors begin to show. Once the loom has been set up the weaver begins the process of weaving; first using the dyed yarns as warp and then shuttling weft yarns (the term used for yarn that is woven across the width of the fabric) across the loom. During the weaving process the threads are adjusted and manipulated until they align in detailed patterns to create the finished textile known as Ikat.

Ikat Collection

View Collection

Indian Kantha Quilts

Firstly, I must apologise for the lack of posts recently – we’ve had a very busy few weeks here finalising parts of the collection and plans for the website launch.

Also, I’m excited to tell you that a selection of the Sparrow & Co. collection will soon be launching in Urban Outfitters and Terrain stores in the USA.

More details soon…

We have also been working closely with a very talented group of artisans in India to produce a selection of Kantha quilts for the Sparrow & Co. collection.

Each quilt is hand stitched in India from vintage saris pieced together and then finished with a running stitch – each one is completely unique.

Photography by Samuel Sparrow

Introducing our latest Sparrow & Co. products….hot off the press.
The Sparrow & Co. Notebook collection features exclusive cover designs by the super talented Debbie Powell

. 2 x A5 Notebooks (Set 1 and Set 2)
. 100% Recycled Paper
. 128 Unruled Pages
. Printed in Scotland

£10.00 (Plus P&P)

Available at Sparrow & Co. Etsy

Trip to the Coast
Largs, Scotland

Yesterday me and my friend Claire had a little road trip to the seaside.
It was great to escape Glasgow for the day and take in some sea air.

We caught up with our old work friend Rachel and enjoyed fish and chips and ice cream at Nardini’s – Scotland’s most famous cafe, restaurant and ice cream parlour.

Photography by Samuel Sparrow

Sparrow & Co Moroccan Lantern

Our Moroccan Glasses are now back in stock!

. Available Sizes Large | Medium | Small
. 100% Recycled Glass
. Suitable for hot and cold drinks
. Handmade in Morocco

From £3.00 each (Plus P&P)

Please contact us here to order.

Sparrow & Co. Workshop
Here’s a behind the scenes preview of the workshop in India currently producing some of the Sparrow & Co. collection.

We aim to create a beautiful collection of products using traditional crafting skills from around the world.

Our products will have provenance – a story to tell.

A Week in Marrakech…

We have only just returned from a wonderful week in Morocco and I am already missing everything about Marrakech – the sights, the sounds, the smells.

I really can’t wait to go back…

Our days were spent exploring the city’s souks with close friends Scott & Laura who are currently in the process of building their own riad within the medina.

We enjoyed copious amounts of mint tea, had a traditional Hammam and even had a henna tattoo…silly tourists!

For Scott’s birthday we had an amazing dinner with the super talented couple Samuel and Caitlin from Popham Design

We had the opportunity to source some new Sparrow & Co. products and meet some very skilled artisans.

During our visit we stayed in two beautiful riads: Riad Laksiba and Riad 107

Photography by Samuel Sparrow