Jarapas in Spain
Country of the crafting: Spain
Region of the crafting: Andalucia
Town of the crafting: Motril
Type of the crafting: Textile
1. Geographic Area
Granada is a town and municipality in the province of Andalusia, Spain. It is located in the center of the Vega region of Granada, at an altitude of 680 m s. n.m., in a wide intrabecent depression formed by the River Genil and the foothills of the highest massif of the Iberian Peninsula, Sierra Nevada, which conditions its climate.
2. Craft characteristics
The jarapas are made with recycled fabric strips of used clothing remnants, remnants of the textile industry and cotton warps, obtaining a very colorful product forming multi-wide color lists according to classic designs that provide unique nuances bright and colorful notes.And they’re made in Granada.
3. The technique
In the production process, the remains of textile factories are used to make the “strips”, with which the balls are prepared and then made the “churros”. Once the churros are on the shuttles they move through the fabric, between the threads, making the fabric. After finishing it is removed from the fabric, the jarapas are cut, some the sides are sewn and others are finished with knots, being ready for commercialization.
4. Used materials
They are made of thick fabrics, made of twisted old wool or rags, with cotton warp or synthetic fiber, and used to make carpets, blankets, quilts, curtains, etc. Once washed and cut into the thread, Band-Aids about fifteen millimeters wide were made, and grouped in colors by seams at the ends.
5. History
The origin of the Jarapa dates back to the sixteenth century with the expulsion of the Moorish population of the Alpujarra. It appears that the looms used by the Arabs to weave sstitchs, were adapted and reused by the population that stayed in the Area . Years before the revolts (15681571), and the subsequent expulsion of the Moors from the Alpujarra, this region had one of the most important silk markets in Spain, here were 4,000 looms, which made taffeta, velvet and sargas.
