home > canary islands > fuerteventura > crafts

THE ISLAND CRAFT CENTRE

Crafts have always been intrinsically linked to the people of Fuerteventura. Working in ceramics, stone, palm, etc., has been essential to make a daily living, extracting value from the resources provided by nature.

Today crafts continue to survive in Fuerteventura, providing a direct link with the agricultural, animal farming and fishing traditions of the island, and related to the creative capacity of the young craftspeople who incorporate techniques and raw materials to enrich and enhance this local industry. Fuerteventura has an island network of craft shops selling products endorsed with a guarantee label on which the workshop of origin is clearly stated. At La Alcogida Ecomuseum there are craft workshops where demonstrations of these crafts are given.

THREAD WORK

Thread work This is a decorative technique that consists of removing threads from the fabric to form different designs in the woven material: these designs are often inspired by flora or architectural motifs based on elements taken from nature.

The women of Fuerteventura have deservedly gained a prestigious reputation for this craft, this delicate art, which they generally carry out in their own homes and can still be seen today sitting in the doorways, working on pure white fabric held in embroidery frames.

Fuerteventura's thread work designs are very characteristic, both for their delicacy and the excellent quality of the craftsmanship, being one of the island crafts that have achieved the greatest recognition. According to historians, this craft has its origins in Portugal.

Buying and owning thread work table linen is always a good investment, as they constitute unique pieces that have been worked with love and dedication.

TEXTILES

Textiles Wool, both in its original colours and dyed, is usually made into blankets, produced from the spun yarn, which is then woven into pieces on large wooden looms. The resulting pieces are then joined together to make up the sizes required for their different uses. These wool fabrics are produced in a large range of designs, of which the most common are the herringbone and dog's tooth check, whilst the most popular colours are blue and pink (always combined with white).

WOOD

Wood Musical instruments: Woodwork has acquired its greatest significance in the production of musical instruments, with the Timple (traditional Canary Island string instrument) and the violin being the most popular, as well as the guitar and the bandurria.

Boats: Boat building is also significant and is present in all the marine areas, where both fishing and recreation vessels are built or repaired.

CLAY

Clay Among the wealth and variety of island crafts, clay is perhaps the one that is the most deep-rooted and traditional - not in vain, as it is the oldest craft, originating directly from aborigine culture.

Traditional objects are still made, such as the tofio (a traditional milking bowl), the azadera (roasting dish), hornillos (a type of portable oven), and other similar ware that combine beauty with practicality, as these are not merely decorative objects, but are still used today.For many years the noble art of clay pottery was the activity that made the most use of this natural resource, supplying homes with crockery and kitchenware.