We've been tirelessly pouring our heart and soul into creating our first-ever Mud Cloth pillow collection, a beautiful ensemble rooted in Malian tradition, over the last few months. We're absolutely thrilled to share that it's now ready to find a home with you!
Mararamiro is not just a name. It's a philosophy that blends our values, attitudes, and personality. It speaks volumes about our taste and preference. Our passion for curating intimate and personal spaces is what fuels our brand. Thus, our maiden product line had to be something that embodied deep-rooted traditions, sustainable practices, and the beauty of handcrafted textiles. Enter our Mud Cloth pillows.
"Celebrating the age-old tradition of Mali handweaving, our Mud Cloth Pillow Collection encapsulates our vision at Mararamiro: to bring unique, meaningful stories into your home. These pillows are more than decor; they are narratives of craftsmanship and authenticity."
So, what's Mud Cloth?
Mud Cloth (bògòlanfini) hails from West Africa, a product of Mali's indigenous loom tradition. The limited width of these traditional looms, around 15cm, means our mud cloth pillows are meticulously constructed by sewing together 4-6 bands of Mud Cloth.
The captivating earthy tones are achieved through a complex and beautiful process: soaking the cloth in a special leaf-based dye bath, followed by painting it with fermented riverbed mud, and finally leaving it to dry under the sun. A lengthy process indeed, but it's one that breathes life into the fabric and is significant to Mali's culture.
Our Journey From Strips To Pillows
For us, creating a product goes beyond mere aesthetics. We wanted to ensure our mud cloth pillows would offer intrinsic value. Unlike other market offerings with a cheaper backing, our pillows boast authentic Mud Cloth on both sides.
On arrival at our store, the fabric is covered in mud, which we hand wash gently several times using a mild detergent, vinegar, and salt solution to ensure colorfastness.
Roots To Remember
Equipped with a degree in Fashion Design and extensive experience in apparel and home decor, I found it immensely rewarding to work intimately with such a special textile. Crafting these mud cloth pillows on a vintage industrial Singer sewing machine, gifted by my parents during my university years, felt like a heartening journey back to my roots.
As an accomplished seamstress, I can vouch that each pillow demands hours of attention. From washing to pressing, cutting, piecing together, and finally constructing the pillows, the process is time-consuming but thoroughly satisfying.
Introducing The Collection
Launching in 4 colors and 6 sizes, our mud cloth collection is available in limited quantities. The design is versatile, allowing you to mix and match in terms of size, shape, and color to curate an appealing ensemble for your bed, sofa, or chair.
We encourage you to play with symmetry, scale, and color. Embrace tonality or go for a mixed palette. Just remember, the fun is in the journey of making these pieces a part of your home story.
