Talking Turkish Craft with Milky Supplies

Asli from Milky Supplies is an independent crafter located in Istabul, Turkey. The Haby Goddess stocks her beautiful organza & satin flowers in the online store. I asked Asli if she would share with us a little about herself and the past & current crafting scene in Turkey.

Firstly of all Asli, we would love to know a little about you!

I've always crafted since I was a child. At uni I crafted jewellery & sold them to my friends and others who heard about my work and made good money. After I left school (unfinished), I left crafting for a while. Last year, I found Etsy & at the same time was wondering if I should quit illustrating and graphic design. This is when I opened my two little shops. So my inspiration is all colors. Maybe it's because I always tried to find the best color combination in my illustrations, it was my biggest concern when designing.

Did your family have a crafting influence on you while growing up?

Nearly all Turkish people craft something, all of our grandmothers know great crochet/knit and tailoring techniques. Even my grandpa was a tailor who create bed covers, table clothes etc. for the girls who are about to get married. The girls in our country has a set of home textile items and maybe some nice dishes for their new life with their husband. It's name is "çeyiz". Most of us have a sewing machine in our homes, which is left from our grandparents, so we learn about handcraft things when we are children.

What is the crafting scene in Turkey like at the moment?

Turkish people still give a great value to handmade items. We have great artists who make handmade carpets, scarfs, porcelain items, silver and golden jewelry, sweaters, wooden spoons, potters, copper dishes and many many more. The new crafting trends are mostly about sewing, like quilting. Turkish people LOVE jewellery, everyday we can find new designs in this business. In the past years, handmade items lost their importance for a while, but then people understood that there is nothing like handmade items, they are unique and of course looks better than any factory-made item.

Oya needle lace is a traditional Turkish craft used today in modern accessories including bracelets, necklaces, earrings, belts and bags. It's also used as a trim around scarfs as pictured above from Kirevi888 on Etsy.