Wool duvet work in Sivas

With the cooling of the weather in Sivas, the demand for wool blankets has increased. Şinasi Toprak, who has been processing wool blankets for 40 years, stated that he works 16 hours a day to meet orders.

As temperatures drop in Sivas and across the country, the demand for wool blankets has risen. Those suffering from respiratory issues such as asthma and allergies prefer wool blankets. Sheep wool obtained from villages is washed and cleaned by women in factories or in neighborhoods to prepare it for blanket production. Şinasi Toprak, who has been processing wool blankets in Sivas for 40 years, is one of the last representatives of this craft learned from his father. Toprak mentioned that wool blankets are preferred more in Sivas due to the cold weather, emphasizing the many health benefits of wool.

“I make wool and silk blankets”

Toprak, who has been producing wool blankets for 40 years, said, “I have been doing this profession for 40 years. It is a family trade passed down from my father. After leaving elementary school, we would take our father’s meal and immediately go to the shop. This way, we learned the trade, and we have been doing it for years. I make wool and silk blankets here. The production of a single wool blanket takes about one and a half to two hours. Careful sewing is required in its making. Only we know the intricacies; customers don’t know the subtleties of the stitching. We make blankets according to the customer’s request. There are people who are allergic to wool; we can also produce synthetic fiber blankets for them. Since Sivas is a winter region, wool blankets are preferred here. Wool has many benefits in terms of health and keeping warm. We source the wool we use from our villages. We have it washed by women in factories or neighborhoods, cleaned, and made ready for sewing,” he stated.

“A very exhausting profession”

Though it seems like he makes money just by sitting down, Toprak pointed out that it is not as it appears from the outside. “The price of the wool blankets I make is 1500 lira for a single size and 1750 lira for a double size. If the customer brings their wool and fabric, we can make them for 400 lira for a single size and 500 lira for a double size as handwork. Our job is heavy. It may look like you make money while sitting, but it is not as easy as it seems from the outside. Throughout the day, there are times when we work 15-16 hours to meet customer orders. That’s why it’s a very tiring profession. New workers are definitely not being trained. During my apprenticeship, there would be at least 4-5 workers working alongside my father at the workshop. If you visit all the blanket makers now, you will see that none of them have a single worker with them at their workshop. New workers are not being trained,” he said.