Alma Mater Textile Studio - Recovering the Artisanal Know-How

This campaign aims to support part of the initial launch funding for the Alma Mater Textile Studio.

Hello! This campaign aims to support part of the funding needed to start Alma Mater , a new Textile Studio in Cercal do Alentejo. This space is the realization of a long-held dream and will focus on the production of unique handcrafted pieces of high cultural and utilitarian value, combining traditional weaving with sewing and upcycling .

What defines us:

• Premium, locally sourced raw materials: We prioritize the use of wool, hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and alpaca wool, sourced exclusively in Portugal and as locally as possible.

• Sustainability: We recover end-of-life textiles (clothing and home textile waste), giving them new life through unique and bold design. We produce reusable sanitary pads, contributing to the planet's regenerative system. Our weaving process is governed by the principles of the circular economy. We work with local and national yarn producers, supporting local businesses. By supporting the project, you promote low-environmental-impact manual techniques, combating fast fashion, the importation of products from other parts of the world, and the accumulation of sanitary landfills.

• Knowledge transfer: You support the organization of workshops (sewing, weaving, knitting, Arraiolos rugs, natural dyeing, spinning, etc.) in collaboration with other national artisans.

The studio will be open to anyone who wants to see and participate in the process, serving as a production, exhibition, and basic training studio. It will be possible to order pieces, learn techniques, or request a Textile Design consultation (decorative products for tourist and private spaces), bringing the culture of Alentejo weaving to the four corners of the world. Sales will be conducted exclusively online, utilizing technological advancements in a balanced and sustainable way, while avoiding complex and restrictive legal processes.

Participação na Faceco 2025

How your support will be used: The funds raised will be invested in minor renovations and painting of the space, furniture, work materials, signage, safety structures, graphic materials, and the creation of a website with an online store.

As a thank you, at the end of the campaign you will receive exclusive rewards, proportional to your contribution and handcrafted with much gratitude. Shall we begin? 😉

About the author

I'm Andreia Henriques, many know me as Samara. Fashion designer, seamstress, textile artisan, and now entrepreneur. I'm 50 years old and mother of two fantastic beings.

I was born in Lisbon, grew up in Almada, and graduated in Fashion Design in 1998 from IADE, Lisbon. I quickly realized that the textile industry system responds to the unbridled speed of consumerism but does not respect the planet. With the desire to create sustainable alternatives, I developed ecological products, reusable sanitary pads, and creative handcrafted sewing.

Becoming a mother made me want to be more connected to nature and the slow movements of life; I felt the need to seek a more natural and balanced environment. I moved from the city, and the Alentejo region welcomed me. It was here that I fell in love with hand weaving, learning traditional techniques from local artisans, and I studied the patterns of Alentejo blankets, which I use in some of my woven products.

I created MoonPads - Reusable feminine hygiene products , Tece.lã.do - Handmade weaving , and Up.Cycle.Me - Sewing and weaving with textile waste. For the last decade, I have combined creating clothing and utility items with teaching textile art in an educational project. These products have been sold at craft fairs and can be found in some local shops. I am a member of CACO, the Odemira artisans' association, an entrepreneurial member of the Integral Regenerative Cooperative, S.Luís, and recently joined the National Network of Nature Guardians.

At the end of 2025, I decided to take the leap, leave the comfort zone of a secure job, and transform this passion into a full-time business. It's time for this Alma Mater - Estúdio Têxtil project, the creative mother, to bear fruit, bringing together the 3 projects in the same space and time.

Since the beginning of 2026, I have been working diligently on organizing this project, and the opening of the physical space that will bring it all together is scheduled for July: a living workshop that values traditional know-how, boosts the local economy, and serves the surrounding community.

To open the doors of this space, I resorted to this crowdfunding campaign as an alternative to complex and endlessly bureaucratic institutional funds. With your help, whether financial or simply by sharing it with your contacts, this dream will become a reality and will serve not only me but the entire community.

Oficina de teares circulares, 2025

Budget and due dates

The requested budget is €5,555 (for those interested in numerology, the number 2 symbolizes harmony, cooperation, and balance, representing duality and the importance of relationships and collaboration).

Yes, it seems like a lot to some, little to others. To me, it's everything! It represents the possibility of help in acquiring various elements necessary for setting up the space that will be the Textile Studio, with an emphasis on a natural and organic aesthetic, comfortable and functional:

- Minor renovations and painting of the space, paints and painting materials, painter and carpenter labor = €370

Interior lighting, shop and window display, electrician = €250

- Safety equipment: fire extinguishers, emergency signage, access ramp for people with reduced mobility = €195

- Raw material storage furniture, workbench and chairs for the workshops, work furniture for sewing machines = €1800

- Decorative accessories: curtains, rugs, plants, wicker baskets and information panels = €290

- Graphic materials: labels, packaging, outdoor signage, business cards, logo, website and online store = €1004.63

- Acquisition of 8 hand looms and shuttles for the workshops: €674.92

- Purchase of heddle looms + 2 variants of heddle reeds = €458

- PPL Commission = €512.45 (5% + VAT for the platform + 2.5% + VAT for payment partner commissions (PayPal, Multibanco References, Mbway, etc.).

The main goal and deadline for completing this project is to reach €5,555 by July 24th, the official opening date.

Since I selected the Flexible mode (a funding model where supporters can mark their contributions as Unconditional or Conditional) thinking that I prefer to receive whatever is donated rather than lose everything if the goal is not reached, I ask that when donating you select Unconditional support.

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