{"id":16433,"date":"2026-09-03T12:43:38","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T10:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/?p=16433"},"modified":"2026-09-03T12:43:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T10:43:38","slug":"moroccan-twisted-thread-an-ancestral-craft-applied-to-bed-and-table-linen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/moroccan-twisted-thread-an-ancestral-craft-applied-to-bed-and-table-linen\/","title":{"rendered":"Moroccan Twisted Thread: An Ancestral Craft Applied to Bed and Table Linen"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In 1996, Val\u00e9rie Barkowski moved to Marrakech. In the alleyways of the medina, she noticed men working outdoors, along the walls. They were everywhere. She did not yet understand what they were doing. She moved closer. They were Moroccan twisted-thread <\/strong>makers – an ancestral trade, discreet, rooted in the quarter for generations. Along the walls, bundles of multicoloured thread accumulated: the offcuts, trimmed after twisting. It was from this observation that the NIL collection<\/a> was born in 1997, a range of bed and table linen in traditional Moroccan passementerie<\/strong>, produced continuously ever since.<\/p>

Twisted thread: a street trade become raw material<\/h2>

Twisted thread<\/strong> is a Moroccan passementerie<\/strong> technique used for centuries on traditional garments. Djellabas, kaftans, gandouras: their borders, their fastenings, their ornaments are made of hand-twisted thread<\/strong>, worked according to patterns passed down from father to son. In Morocco, ready-to-wear was not worn; garments were made to order. One chose the fabric, the colour of the thread, the shape and size of the buttons. Passementerie was a personal decision, renewed with each commission.<\/p>

The work is done outdoors, in the street. The men choose their spots, always the same, along the walls of the medina. They have their bobbins, their fingers, their rhythm. One can choose the thickness, the pattern, the length. The twisted cords are then cut, and the offcuts, in every colour, remain clinging to the walls, like a signature.<\/p>

Thirty years ago, these men were everywhere in the medina of Marrakech. For anyone unfamiliar with the practice, it was intriguing – these figures stationed at the same street corners, these walls coloured with thread. Today, the trade still exists but is less visible. Two reasons for this: ready-to-wear has gradually replaced bespoke tailoring, even for djellabas and kaftans. And workshops have absorbed part of the work that was once done in the street. At V.Barkowski<\/strong>, this work is carried out in the workshop, with the same gestures.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a9 Delphine Warin<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Moroccan buttons: the other element of the NIL collection<\/h2>

The NIL<\/strong> finish combines two distinct elements of traditional Moroccan passementerie<\/strong>: twisted cord<\/strong> and passementerie buttons, called aakads<\/em>, those small handmade buttons that fasten djellabas and gandouras.<\/p>

Val\u00e9rie Barkowski discovered these buttons in the haberdasheries of the medina upon her arrival. Going to choose thread colours in these shops was part of the pleasure. A broad palette, unexpected tones, the possibility of combining everything. The idea of transposing these textile elements onto household linen quickly took hold.<\/p>

“Combining twisted thread and buttons is my way of reinterpreting an ancestral craft\u2014interpreting it for another use without betraying it.”<\/em> Val\u00e9rie Barkowski<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a9 Tania Panova<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The NIL collection: twisted thread and passementerie on household linen<\/h2>

The NIL bed linen<\/strong> is in white mercerized combed cotton. Its four sides are edged with twisted cord<\/strong>, punctuated by small balls of artisanal passementerie<\/strong>. Thread and needle, a form of miniature architecture, repeated along the entire border of the linen. Each ball is hand-sewn. Each cord is twisted in the V.Barkowski<\/strong> workshop in Marrakech.<\/p>

The collection covers bed linen – duvet covers<\/a>, sheets<\/a>, pillowcases – <\/a>and table linen<\/a>: placemats and napkins. The finish is available in a wide palette of colours, with the possibility of ordering additional shades on request. Formats are customizable. Each piece is made to order. Lead time is two to four weeks.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The NIL collection for hospitality projects<\/h2>

The NIL collection also exists in a version designed for hospitality projects. Riads, boutique hotels, guesthouses: the V.Barkowski<\/strong> workshop considers each request – adapted finish, small runs, realistic lead times. Contact: sales@valeriebarkowski.com<\/p>

The NIL collection has existed since 1997. It has not changed. The twisted thread <\/strong>still runs along all four sides of the linen, the buttons still punctuate it at the same rhythm. The Moroccan artisanal craft<\/strong> is unchanged\u2014traditional in Morocco for centuries. What Val\u00e9rie Barkowski has made of it is of another nature: minimal, simple, stripped of all superfluous ornament. The gesture itself remains intact.<\/p>

\u2192 Discover V.Barkowski passementerie\u2014the story and the craft<\/a><\/p>

\u2192 The AYA collection\u2014the other V.Barkowski passementerie<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a9 Tania Panova<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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FAQ \u2014 NIL Collection<\/h2>

Can NIL linen be machine-washed?<\/h3>

Yes. NIL linen is machine-washable at 40\u00b0 on a delicate cycle. The twisted thread<\/strong> and passementerie balls are made with colourfast thread. Air-drying is preferable to preserve the finishes.<\/p>

Can the NIL collection be ordered bespoke?<\/h3>

Yes. Dimensions, finish colours, bedding format: everything is customizable. The finish is available in a wide palette of standard colours, with the possibility of ordering additional shades on request. Bespoke orders are placed via sales@valeriebarkowski.com<\/a>.<\/p>

Is the NIL collection suitable for hospitality projects<\/strong>?<\/em> Yes. The V.Barkowski workshop works in small runs for riads, boutique hotels and guesthouses. Finish adapted to maintenance requirements, realistic lead times, quotation on request.<\/p>

\u2192 Read our article on bespoke hospitality linen<\/a><\/p>

What is the difference between NIL and AYA?<\/h3>

AYA<\/a> is a finish in artisanal passementerie<\/strong> balls only, sewn one by one onto the edge of the linen. NIL combines twisted thread<\/strong> running along the entire border and small balls that punctuate it. Both belong to the V.Barkowski Moroccan passementerie<\/strong> family, inspired by traditional garments.<\/p>

Is twisted cord still a living craft in Morocco?<\/h3>

Yes. The trade of cord-twister still exists in Marrakech, though it is less visible in the street than it was thirty years ago. The decline is explained by the growth of ready-to-wear and by the shift of the work into workshops. At V.Barkowski, this work is carried out in the workshop, with the same gestures and the same techniques.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1996, Val\u00e9rie Barkowski moved to Marrakech. In the alleyways of the medina, she noticed men working outdoors, along the walls. They were everywhere. She did not yet understand what they were doing. She moved closer. They were Moroccan twisted-thread makers – an ancestral trade, discreet, rooted in the quarter for generations. Along the walls, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[68],"tags":[438,363,439],"class_list":["post-16433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-au-fil-des-collections","tag-aakad-marocain","tag-passementerie-maroc","tag-linge-de-lit-passementerie"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fils-tournes-marocains-nil-vbarkowski-taie-oreiller-tania-panova-photo-banner.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16435,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16433\/revisions\/16435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}