Tecelana Blog

Bagpipe Fringes: Which Material to Choose?

SPRING 2022

When we consider changing the fringes on our bagpipe, the first question that arises is: which material should we choose? Among the most commonly used are linen, sheep’s wool, cotton, rayon, and a multitude of blends and synthetic materials that each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Today we’ll try to shed some light on this topic so that venturing into the wonderful world of threads is an enjoyable experience. Let’s talk a bit about each of them:

LINEN
With its elegance, medium volume, good drape and movement, linen creates beautiful fringes that carry with them a tradition of millennia of use. The fiber comes from a plant (Linum usitatissimum), which has been worked since the dawn of time in Galicia and used as a textile material both for warm clothing and for fine artisanal craft. Now we give it new uses and adorn our music with its threads.

Linen is a durable thread that gains volume with heavy use as the tips open. Linen fringes usually weigh around 300 g, which is the maximum we recommend so they don’t cause discomfort while playing; if they do, you can request a lighter piece or add a ronquiño to the bagpipe stock.

At Tecelana, we work with a catalog of more than 100 colors of linen, which can be monochromatic, blended, tips dyed, or decorated with lines. Our imagination is the only limit. 

To clean linen fringes we recommend hand washing with a gentle detergent and never soaking them. Let them dry vertically, avoiding direct sunlight. It is also recommendable to dry them in a place with airflow to prevent stiffness. If that’s not possible, once dry you can simply move the piece to restore softness.

SHEEP´S WOOL
Loving, warm, with maximum volume and light weight. If linen has been used since ancient times, wool is no less traditional. Many animals (caprines and ovines) have provided hair that helped us dress through the millennia, but in Galicia, the sheep (Ovis aries celtibericus) adapted best and still roam the fields, giving the wool our grandmothers spun on winter nights.

Wherever there is a wool fringes, it catches the eye with its volume; despite having less weight than linen fringes (around 200 g). With time and use, wool fringes increase in volume as the tips open and the material becomes spongier. 

At Tecelana we have a catalog of 60 colors in this material so you can choose those that best match each musician’s fringes. It’s also possible to dye the wool tips in a darker shade, mix linen and wool in the same fringes, add pom-poms, etc. We love participating in new projects and discovering fresh ideas and techniques. 

For washing, we recommend cold water with a small amount of odorless ammonia. Wash by hand, do not soak, and let dry vertically in a place with no direct sunlight. A breezy area is ideal to prevent stiffness if not possible, you can simply move the piece after it’s dry. It’s also very important to avoid hot water and products containing bleach. 

 COTTON

Soft, and strong. Cotton is a plant fiber from bushes of the genus Gossypium, originating in tropical and subtropical regions. Undoubtedly, it is the most widely used textile material in the world from early agriculture in Mexico 8,000 years ago to its peak during the Industrial Revolution.

Cotton fringes weigh approximately 300 g (similar to linen), but they have a softer feel. Although the weight is similar, cotton fringes have less movement than linen, forming a more compact block.

Cotton fringes should be washed by hand with a gentle detergent and not soaked. They should be dried vertically away from direct sunlight. A breezy location is also recommended to prevent stiffness; otherwise, simply moving the piece once dry helps maintain softness.

RAYON OR VISCOSE

Light, fine, silky, with plenty of movement and good drape. Rayon (viscose) is a man-made fiber created from cellulose through chemical processes to mimic the appearance of silk, but at a much lower cost. Rayon fringes are the most commonly used on bagpipes because the material is very attractive and easy to work with

OTHER MATERIALS

As many as the shelves of thread shops can offer. A stroll through these magical places, filled with possibilities and ideas colors, textures, sparkles and nuances leads you to those small treasures waiting for a kindred spirit to notice them. Materials come from animals, plants, or alchemical blends, ready to transform between our fingers and learn to dance and sing in harmony with our music.

Do you want more information?

I love talking about threads… try emailing me at tecelana@tecelana.es or call +34 699 200 558.

Greetings!

Chelo L. Sarceda, Tecelana Tradición