I discovered through a friend from Béarnais, the manufacturing of Berets in Orthez, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the South-West, not far from one of the anchorages of Carré Royal.
Sara makes adjustable berets in an artisanal and traditional manner, thanks to a lace passed in the beret’s hem.
This production is the outcome of a series of delicate operations, which requires genuine dexterity.
Sara is truly passionate about her job. She talks about her adventure, how she took over her craft workshop in 2017 after leaving Paris, with its founder Denis Guédon.
Denis Guédon wanted to create a place in which a single person would be able to make a Beret in its entirety, right from the wool yarn until the finished product.
Sara discusses at length about the origin of the materials she uses, she pays close attention to the origin of the material.
She shares her knowledge of wool, and her enthusiasm for the specificities of this material: its thermoregulatory qualities, its impermeability, its antiseptic character (?).
Depending on the environments in which the sheep live, they do not produce the same type of wool due, for example, a harsh climate. On the contrary, Merino sheep from Arles, something we spoke about, produce soft and fine wools.
Gesture of a craftsman
Sara also evokes the importance of the craftsman’s gesture.
The Master who transmits and the Apprentice who receives, learns. The transmission is based on a tradition, which is also learned by the Master.
Transmission requires patience, perseverance, experimentation, failures on the part of the apprentice. The apprentice ends up appropriating the gesture through hard work, a conscious practice. The gesture sets in.
The apprentice internalizes the gesture. The latter also provides his own touch, its uniqueness.
Thus, in the history of the gesture for generations, it is modified, even infinitely.
The work of the Conservatoire National et des Arts et Métiers indicates for example: “The same gesture is never reproduced twice, as indicated by kinetic and/or dynamic recordings.”
Many gestures are lost as time goes by, through the rise of industrialization in the 19th century.
In leather goods, gestures are also passed on from generation to generation of craftsmen. Communities form or disappear.
The process of manufacturing a beret
Sara recalls that a Beret consists of a plate, an elbow patch and an escutcheoned headdress.
It all starts with the wool yarn from the Merino sheep of Arles. Different steps lead to obtain a felted wool.
1. Knitting
Knitting is done with an ecru yarn. This leads to a mechanical ballet, and kilometers of yarn are transformed into a finely discounted jersey..
2. Looping
Sara gives substance to the beret by looping,
3.Fuller
The berets pass through a fuller, which in particular allows them to be “felted”.
4. Dying
By a clever and delicate mixture of pigments, Sara then engages in the dyeing of berets, about 130 at a time.
5. She then continues with scraping (to remove pilling and lifting hair), shearing (to obtain a felt called scarf) and ironing (to stabilize the wool and the shape).
6. She takes the measurements and finishes the production with the seams (she affixes the crest of her workshop and sews a hem to insert the lace) and the finishes.
There you go…The berets are ready.
Video presenting the making of berets:
The Manufacturer’s website: https://www.manufacturedeberets.fr
Find out more about the Wool sector:
The Lainamac association’s mission is to safeguard know-how, promote the wool sector in New Aquitaine and Massif Central, it offers training on the sector : Lainamac (https://www.lainamac.fr)
The pictures on this letter and our Instagram et Facebook are from the Manufacture des Bérets.
To know more of this letter and the author please visit Lettres Carré Royal.
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Some Music :
J.S. Bach – Cantata BWV 22 “Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe” (J.S. Bach Foundation)
I am also listening to this Persian music, currently, The last waltz .
Our playlist is also on Deezer.
Museum suggestion in Orthez:
https://www.museejeannedalbret.com/fr
