Organic is the most important thing when it comes to babies, and blankets are important items for your baby. If you bought a blanket it should be as organic as possible. An organic blanket means a blanket made with an organic fiber that is collected and processed with organic ingredients and dyed with organic dye. Pretty much every manufacturing process it passes organic blankets must stay reach out of inorganic chemicals and ingredients.

If that said let’s talk a little bit about Gabi. Gabi is an Ethiopian product a blanket made with a technique called Shemena it is a fabric-making technique, which is the same as a handloom machine. The fascinating thing about Shemena is how the cotton is collected and how they make thread out of the cotton. Which makes the Gabi a 100% organic cotton product.

The farmers in Ethiopia are still following the old traditional way of farming without fertilizers and pesticide. The farmers use the traditional technique to preserve and harvest the cotton which makes the cotton organic from the very beginning. The cotton will be harvested and cleaned up by hand. If you take a look at the original Ethiopian Gabi you will most likely to see small pieces of leaf scrap and flower seed blended with the Gaby this is because there are no chemicals added to rot these scraps from the cotton. These scraps are completely normal and harmless, the only bad thing is it just doesn’t look good. But in Ethiopia, this is considered as beautiful and original.

Afterwards the cotton will be taken to be spun to convert it into thread: this is done by hand by women with decades of experience of spinning cotton into the thread. Then a Shemane, a person who makes fabric takes the thread to a loom and turns it into a fabric called Gabi, which we then take and made into blankets. The other beauty of this blanket is the way it became denser and softer  with every wash. It keeps improving its structure before it becomes damaged over time.

This process does not happen overnight, it takes months and months of different people’s efforts and a long supply chain of artisans working toward making the most beautiful piece of blankest for your baby’s comfort and safety.

Purchasing a Gabi is not just buying a blanket from Ethiopia. It is a piece of art, whilst also you are supporting women and farmers along the way, which keeps this traditional technique going from generation to generation.

Even if you can find Gabi in pretty much everywhere in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia, There are only a few recommended blankets in the market ready for international purchase.

1. Little Gabies

Little Gabies are born in Ethiopia, making beautiful Gabies specially made for babies in mind. Their stories can go back more than 10 years and they are still considered one of the best baby blankets in the market.  Read their story here.

2. Wolfaby 

Wolfaby is also born in Addis Ababa by making a soft sole leather shoe for babies delicate feet. We also make little hooded Gabies. All the material is sourced from an ethical supply chain where the farmers and women working on them get fair value. Find wolfaby on Etsy.