A fabric often known as willow, that is made from esparto, of indigenous Spanish grasses such as Lygeum Spartum, Stipa tenacissima. Esparto grows naturally in southern Spain and North Africa; the Japanese have tried to grow it in their paddy fields but it produces a more brittle, and therefore less sought after fibre.,
Sparterie is stable and durable, pliable and easy to work, but it keeps its shape, and when woven with a slightly wider warp or weft yarn it looks like and handles like basket work, and is indeed made into baskets, floor rugs shoes and clothing. ,.
Milliners often know this textile as willow. The open weave grass cloth is bonded to a fine cotton gauze by starching, so the top becomes smoother and softer both to look at and touch. Sparterie is particularly valuable as blocking canvas for crowns and brims, the layers can be separated for hat making, and can be bought from millinery suppliers
Other uses are in mats, baskets and mattresses.
Its relevance for textile furnishings is as the basis of interesting shapes such as lampshades that will be covered.