0:00
To the weavers
Your guide takes you to a weaving workshop in the medina, where the looms fill a small room.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Weaving and Fassi embroidery workshop
Sit at a wooden loom with a Fes weaver and try a few passes of the shuttle, then learn the first steps of terz fassi, the counted-thread embroidery that shows the same pattern on both sides of the cloth. The workshop runs in the medina for about 2.5–3.5 hours and suits anyone who likes textiles.
- Private or small-group
- A local guide with you
- Quoted for your dates
What it's like
Textiles have been part of the Fes economy for centuries, and the medina still has weavers working on wooden looms, making scarves, throws and fabric from cotton, wool and agave silk, the shiny fibre the souks call sabra. Nearby, women's embroidery is a quieter, home-based craft with its own Fes signature.
That signature is the terz fassi, or Fassi stitch: a counted-thread embroidery, traditionally in a single colour, often blue, worked so neatly that both sides of the cloth show the same pattern. On this workshop you watch a weaver at the loom and try a few passes of the shuttle, then sit with an embroiderer to learn the first steps of the stitch.
Best for: Textile lovers and makers; A relaxed, hands-on half-day; Families with patient older children.
- How long
- About 2.5–3.5 hours
- Where
- A weaving workshop and an embroidery studio in the Fes medina
- How active
- Gentle, little walking
- Families
- Children welcome
How it runs
A typical running order. Timings shift with your group, the season and the day of the week.
0:15
At the loom
See how the warp is set up and how the weaver works the pedals and shuttle, then try a few rows yourself.
1:00
Fibres and dyes
Feel the difference between cotton, wool and agave silk, and learn how to recognise each in the souk.
1:30
The Fassi stitch
With an embroiderer, learn how the terz fassi is counted thread by thread to make the same pattern on both sides.
2:30
Your sampler and tea
Finish a small sampler of stitches to take home, over mint tea.
Up close
Terz fassi
The Fes embroidery stitch: counted-thread work, traditionally in one colour, that looks the same on the front and back.
Sabra (agave silk)
A glossy fibre made from cactus plants, used for cushions and throws in the Fes souks.
The hand loom
Wooden foot-pedal looms still used in medina workshops to weave scarves and fabrics.
Private or small-group
Private
Your party with a guide, a weaver and an embroiderer, with more time on whichever craft you enjoy most.
Small-group
A shared session with a few other travellers, rotating between the loom and the embroidery table.
Practical notes
Good light and a steady hand help with embroidery; bring reading glasses if you use them. The workshops are small, so groups are kept small too. Buying is optional.
Good to know
Embroidery is slow work; you'll learn the basics, not finish a cloth. Some fabrics sold as silk in the souks are synthetic; your guide will show you the difference. The weaving workshop is up steps in an old building.
Before you knock
The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.
What is Fassi embroidery?
Terz fassi is the traditional embroidery of Fes: a counted-thread stitch, traditionally worked in one colour, that produces the same pattern on both sides of the fabric.
Can I try weaving on a loom?
Yes. After watching the weaver, you sit at the loom and weave a few rows with guidance.
Is this suitable for beginners?
Yes. No sewing experience is needed. The embroiderer starts you with simple counted stitches.
Pair it with
Calligraphy workshopCut a reed pen, mix the ink and learn to write your name in Maghrebi script, then see the great Kufic inscriptions of the Fes madrasas with new eyes.See how it runs
Zellige mosaic workshopWatch master cutters chip glazed tiles into geometric pieces by hand, then try the hammer yourself and set a small mosaic of your own.See how it runs
Leather & tanneriesLook down on the dye pits of the Chouara tannery, then follow the leather to a workshop where it is cut and stitched into bags and babouches.See how it runsRead before you go: Fes artisans and crafts, Fes souks and shopping, Shopping in the souks.
Send your dates. We'll fit this into your Fes days.
- Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
- A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
- You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.