Merill Local Products –The ancient tradition of Weaving

From our very first collection

Through Merill Eco Tours, we are proud to promote the authentic local products of the Maltese Islands under the name of Merill Local Products. Merill Local Products is a brand which promotes genuine products direct from the farmers and craft persons. The product range includes local wine, home-made jams, extra virgin olive oil, pickled onions, sun dried tomatoes and much more, all bought direct from the farmers/producers/artisans. 
In the framework of Merill Rural Network, we bring together several farmers and artisans from around the Maltese Islands. By means of organised visits and excursions, the members are diversifying their products and services to offer new experiences to locals and tourists. 

In order to reviev the old traditions and to widen the knowledge of both locals and tourists about the authentic art crafts of Malta and to support the local artisans we organize tours and demonstrations providing unique experiences. One of these experiences takes place at Mr Antoine Vella’s workshop.

The tradition of weaving was introduced by the Phoenicians in Malta thus this trade has a very long history. All the traditional items of bedding and clothing were hand woven including tablecloths, curtains, skirts, sheets and bedspreads.  Mr Antoine Vella, who has been in the weaving trade for more than 35 years is one of the very few professional weavers of the Maltese Islands who are still keen on keeping the old traditions and methods alive.

 

During this demonstration, you will learn how cloth and material used to be made when synthetic fabrics did not exist. The components of the machine and process will be explained in a detailed yet interesting way. A variety of colourful and attractive carpets and materials produced by Mr Vella will also be on display. 

For more information please visit Antoine's fan page or Weaving Demonstration

Betti :)

For more information about the whole range of experiences we offer, one can visit the Merill Eco Tours website. We organise experiences upon request for small and medium sized groups. Feel free to email us on info@merillecotours.com or call us on 21/27411388.