The iniciation of the company’s activity was registed in 1911, under the name of JOAQUIM CRISOSTOMO DA SILVA SANTOS. Part of the functions of the company was to:
- manufacture of stylish furniture;
- manufactoring of mattresses made of straw and pillows of "sumaúma";
- making of curtains
During the first world war, some of the employees of the company, were called up for service. Upon returning, they demanded higher salaries, to which Mr Joaquim Crisóstomo, did not agree and decided to close the factory. Some of the ex-employees opened up their own business in the North of Portugal.
The businessman decided to open up again, this time in new premises in Patio de Castilho, Quebra Costas Street and Fernandes Tomás Street(the current headoffice). The furniture was adquired plain, being then worked on by specialized artisans in wood carving, cabinet making and carpinters. The artwork was applied and the finishing off touches, personalized.
Their also worked in the factory some seamstresses.
After the death of the founder, his youngest son Alvaro Teixeira Santos, took over. The company’s name changed to “Joaquim Crisóstomo da Silva Santos, Suc. Lda “ (01/01/1969) and he carried on in the same activity.
He designed some furniture, being unique pieces. With the mobilization of the army and he being sent off to Angola, the Company kept up it’s activity in decoration only.
Upon his return, and with the influence of his wife a art teacher and a enthusiastic of wall and mats tapestry making, he started a new era in the developing of the company.
Having always the initiation to innovate and develop, he investigated the materials to be used, the techniques and stitches, looking always for ways to facilitate the work of the tapestry.
He created a new canvas “Juta Decimétrica” (marked jute material in squares of 10 cm) “patent” it facilitates the learning of the arraiolos stitch, being a great help in the manufacturing of the arraiolos mats by reducing (40% in time), the manual labour.
The Company edited a magazine under the name of “Tapeçaria Portuguesa” were the public in general could find:
- the history of the arraiolos mats;
- how to create your own carpet of arraiolos;
- techniques of the stitch: outlines, borders, corners, filling in, finishing off and the making of the fringe.
Original Designs:
In the meantime, this activity began increasing and we selling in the marketplace a large array of products that you can buy from our online store. We sell all types of fabrics:
- inted canvassess for gobelin stitch
- materials for cross-stitch, gobelin stitch, regional embroideries, smyrna and other hand-made embroideries.
- specific yarns for tapestries and embroideries in wool, acrylic and cotton
- accessories: needles, embroidery rings, looms for fringe and others.
At the moment it is soly doing distribution throughout the country of products for the manual craft of tapestry and embroideries.
