Fair Trade Felt Slippers - Reilun kaupan huopatossut

Fair Trade Felt Slippers - Reilun kaupan huopatossut

You know sometimes you hear something, like a story going around, and can't resist checking out whether it is true? This happened to me last spring. We all know (perhaps not :), but I am determined to spread the word) the wonderful felt products coming from Nepal. Well - last spring my dear friend told a story, or a legend - whatever you like to call it - that it was actually a Finnish lady who has brought the currently used felting technique to Nepal.

Fair Trade Felt Slippers - Reilun kaupan huopatossut

Nepal has been always famous for its traditional felt carpets. But already 10 years ago, perhaps even earlier, we started seeing other products, as well, coming out of Nepal - jewelry, for instance, made of felt pom-poms.

Fair Trade Felt Slippers - Reilun kaupan huopatossut

Well, me being me, I had to find out, and started asking about the rumour. Found out that yes, there has been a missionary worker from Finland in Nepal for decades, and yes, her sister has been teaching felting in the Association for Craft Producers (ACP). After emailing, googling and few phone calls - found her, and her name is Tupu Mentu.

Fair Trade Felt Slippers - Reilun kaupan huopatossut

For sure - it might be there has been number of others after Tupu Mentu in Nepal teaching the right felting techniques. But still...those of you who have been to Thamel in Kathmandu know that this is BIG in Nepal. Finally in the beginning of this year I get the honor to meet Tupu in Ateneum Café in Helsinki.  And we talk for hours - with this wonderful, humble lady, still teaching felting in Finland. And I am sitting there and thinking - this is pure surreal :)!

Fair Trade Felt Slippers - Reilun kaupan huopatossut

Fair Trade Felt Slippers - Reilun kaupan huopatossut

The images you see here are the felt slipper models she has used herself. One pair of them - the one marked -42- is her mothers. The slippers you see are made by ACP, and the model is the same she taught them. You see that funny 'Robin Hood' tail? It's there because the hole is cut to the slipper afterwards when the model is taken out from the slipper. Imagine the work that goes into making these slippers by hand! Making any kinds of felt slippers or boots always requires a fair amount of working by hand, but making these - no machines are used.

When Tupu was in Nepal, there were no slipper models available. ACP's handyman came up with the idea to mould models with concrete to plastic shoes found in the bazaar! That worked. It was also very humid during summer time, and drying of the thick felt products was a challenge. But they managed and after that ACP has got the whole process going keeping the good quality (quality-checked by Tupu a couple weeks back :)) for almost 20 years already. Talk about determination - and a superior product!

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If you are interested in buying the product seen in the pictures, and not visiting Kathmandu anytime soon, the fair trade slippers are sold HERE in 8 different colors. Be sure to pick a size 1-2 bigger than your normal shoe size!

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Huopatossut, nepalilaiset tossut, huopa, reilu kauppa, huovutus, nepalilainen huovutus