Teixits Vicens

Family farms always evoke an extreme sense of romance in me anyway. So does the origin of the Majorcan Teixits Vicens. Martí Vicens had been wandering around their grandparents' wool and linen textile workshop with his brother since birth. At a very young age they worked at the loom and it was their father who introduced the distinctive "barrel cloth" (roba de llengües, in Majorcan). Martí did not have the chance to really learn the tricks of the trade when his father died at a very young age during the Spanish Civil War. Nevertheless; with his little experience and his father's found notebook, Martí "reinvented" as he used to say, the "llengües" fabric, gave it a personal touch and experimented with colors and patterns.

Martí's tonne cloth production is based on an ancient technique from the exotic East, with Mediterranean-inspired designs. The craft process is basically the same as originally, with the basic part of production being manual. The warp is prepared from white cotton and then dyed in portions according to the required "ikat" pattern. This is the reason why the Tongue cloth has no front or back; instead, both sides have an identical pattern.       

What I find very special is that Mallorca is the only place in Europe that retains this artisanal technique. Only three companies are dedicated to the specialized task of producing the hard-wearing high-quality fabric, and Teixits Vicens is one of them. The final quality can only be achieved after many years of effort, preserving the traditional and using the best materials, natural fibers and the beautiful colors that give the fabrics of just that special touch. So I was extremely impressed to see how they use a huge loom to produce these fabrics. Wonderful craft!

The fabrics from Teixits Vicens - consisting of 70% cotton and 30% linen - are divided into several collections that share the 'llengües' pattern. The classic pattern is Martí's version of the typical Mallorcan fabrics that use dark blue, light blue, green and yellow as base colors and are inspired by the beautiful Mallorcan landscape. My favorite fabric is in sea shades of blue and green because it reminds me of the Mediterranean!

At the Foodies in Heels webshop, we only sell table runners, placemats and napkins from Teixits Vicens, but those who, like me, are fans of the 'llengües' fabric will get a kick out of all the other beautiful things they produce ... even clothing and dog baskets! And their beauties have not gone unnoticed, as Teixits Vicens 's products are now exported all over the world. From Barney's in New York to a special collection for Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain.

Majorca travel tip:

Since then Teixits Vicens has moved to larger premises just outside the city, but together with his wife Antònia, Martí opened his first factory in Can Sionet that today is the charming Martí Vicens Museum. Take a step back in time and admire his textiles, paintings and sculptures, Museo Martí Vicens.

For more travel inspiration, check out my Mallorca blog with lots of travel tips.