Long before she became one of Gozo’s most respected textile artisans, Alda Bugeja was a little girl immersed in threads, in a world where her toys were looms, spools and spindles.  At the age of five, she began learning from her grandmother and mother, whose cottage industry business revolved around weaving, lace-making and macramé. What others may have considered work, Alda regarded as play, eagerly imitating the women she loved and absorbing their skills with a passion that would shape her future.

Today, those same skills, which have grown and evolved over 50 years, continue to define her work.  For Alda, an early riser, every day is a fusion of work at her private studio, indulging in significant long-haul and exclusive projects, typically followed by welcoming visitors to her shop in Victoria, where she holds hands-on workshops for all ages.

In between, there is a flurry of creative projects, and her mind is constantly occupied with colours, patterns, or simply the next project taking shape on her loom. For Alda, textile craftsmanship is not simply a profession but an essential way of life rooted in memories that stretch back to childhood.  From traditional costumes to contemporary home décor and even fashion items, Alda remains committed to preserving techniques passed down through generations while ensuring that every piece retains the originality and authenticity that have long distinguished her family’s craft.

While Alda’s shop is the most visible activity, her private workshop is where she undertakes the most elaborate projects and special commissions.  Her looms are always threaded, and as she finishes one project to pick up the next, she is always on the lookout for new inspiration.  Her grandmother’s and mother’s spirit still runs deep as she ropes traditional loom weaving, lace and macramé, three different textile techniques that Alda’s family has always sought to intertwine to create unique textiles.  This combo became a distinguishing factor of their work, and Alda still operates by this principle.    By harnessing these skills together, her family had wide latitude to create whatever was required for the design and ultimately, the finished result would stand out even more.  Such is the case when Alda is commissioned to create traditional Maltese and Gozitan folk costumes, where she not only designs the full regalia but also weaves the material at her loom and adds embellishments made from macramé and lace.  Having such control over her supply makes it easier to come up with elaborate, original designs that emphasise the originality of one-off creations.

To this day, Alda operates by this guiding principle, ensuring each artefact is distinct. Alda emphasises, “I am not a machine. Every day, my creations are new and never a replica of yesterday’s work.” This philosophy, instilled by her grandmother, is based on the belief that authentic work brings greater satisfaction to whoever acquires it. Alda has embraced this belief as a foundation of her artistic practice. In addition to uniqueness, Alda also focuses on eco-friendly, sustainable production. For her, sustainability means creating durable items that resist fading or deterioration, ensuring they cannot be classified as disposable. She prefers natural materials such as cotton and wool, and her colour choices reflect the island’s palette. Blues evoke the sea, ochre yellows and reds recall the land, and greens represent nature, all the while echoing the heritage Maltese pottery designs with recurring diamond and V shapes.

Over the years, Alda has participated in international competitions and is today recognised as one of Europe’s leading textile artisans. This recognition has attracted discerning clients seeking exclusive, custom-made pieces, including elaborate silk-lace bridal mantillas that require months of meticulous work.  Such commissions are prepared in her private workshop, where Alda sometimes works alongside a trusted team of craftspeople who assist in long-haul projects. Closely resembling the traditional concept of an artist’s bottega, the workshop is also a place of learning, where Alda teaches and trains those keen to acquire these skills. International clients and apprentices from around the world regularly find their way to her workshop, drawn by both the quality of her craftsmanship and the opportunity to learn from a master artisan.

Alda’s family history is also characterised by recognition of their distinctive work. When the Ta’ Ċenċ Hotel was being built in the late 1960s, her family was entrusted with creating all the hotel’s textile décor. From curtains and wall panels to lampshades and carpets, every textile item was produced on their looms, reflecting the hotel’s desire to showcase Gozo’s handmade artefacts. In recent years, similar commissions have drawn discerning customers seeking the genuine quality and unique beauty of hand-woven items for their homes.

Her Victoria shop offers visitors a genuine glimpse into this tradition and provides heritage-inspired gifts. Located on one of Victoria’s historic streets, the shop does more than sell an array of ready-made artefacts. It also hosts Alda’s workshops. Maintaining traditions and engaging with visitors in a relaxed, informal setting brings Alda real joy, and she delights in bringing her craft into public view, attracting passersby. While larger looms remain inside, she spins her spool on the street, drawing many to stop, watch, and inquire about her techniques.

At her shop in Victoria, she welcomes both tourists and students who drop by to purchase items or to try the loom and work on their own project.  Her workshops are a truly rewarding experience, where visitors who book a two-hour weaving or macramé session get to decide what to work on, choose colours, design and execute the full item, and take it home with them. For this artisan, nothing is more rewarding than seeing the satisfaction on her visitors’ faces as they leave with a hand-woven carpet, a placemat, or a table runner that they will use themselves or gift to someone special.  Many who believe in art therapy and the freedom offered by hands-on creative activities book their sessions well in advance before their Gozo holiday, so as not to miss out on the valuable experience that Alda provides, enriching each workshop with a generous dose of storytelling.

Beyond these kinds of workshops, Alda also organises specialised master classes for international artists and students seeking to deepen and refine their knowledge and textile skills as this acts as inspiration for richer contemporary art. Word-of-mouth has brought Alda further international recognition not only in the textile world but also among professionals who use textile crafts as a form of therapy and personal development.

It often seems that Alda’s day has more than 24 hours.  Beyond the workshop and shop, she participates in exhibitions and cultural events, offering demonstrations of textile craftsmanship. Collaboration is also central to her approach. Her recent partnership with a leather artisan resulted in a modern-day barżakka, a traditional hunter’s bag. This contemporary leather piece, embellished with macramé, merges modern design with traditional techniques at its core.

Few artisans embody authenticity quite like Alda Bugeja.  In an age of mass production, she remains faithful to the principles passed down by her grandmother and mother, believing that every creation should be unique, meaningful and made with care. Whether weaving at her loom, sharing her skills with visitors and students, or demonstrating her craft in the streets of Victoria, Alda keeps bringing people closer to the authentic spirit of Gozo.

VisitGozo would like to thank Alda Bugeja of Gozo Weaving and Creations for sharing her story and photographs for this feature.