Little Gabies: Making Baby Blankets/Clothes Out of Traditional Gabi Wraps

Amelsa Yazew runs a brand known as Little Gabies, which produces children’s blankets, all handmade from the country’s traditional Gabi cloth.

By Lena D (Atlanta Black Star)|

Amelsa Yazew inspects finished baby blankets made at her company offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after a morning meeting with her staff.

The entrepreneur runs a brand known as Little Gabies, which produces children’s blankets, all handmade from the country’s traditional Gabi cloth.

The company was started in 2013 after Amelsa had her first child and after struggling to find suitable baby blankets that would not irritate her baby’s sensitive skin.

Little Gabies sells the blankets, clothes and a variety of baby accessories at their store in Addis. The blankets come in over 20 embroidery designs, done in various colors.

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“A little gabi is basically a little blanket made from cotton. It is handmade that goes through seven different people from beginning to end. We pick the cotton first, and then it goes to the spinners and they spin it, and then it goes to the weaver,” she said.

The Gabi cloth which is generally done in white is widely worn in Ethiopia and Eritrea. They often have bands of various colors and also come in various textures.

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