Top 5 weaving techniques from around the world
Ghana
The traditional cloth of Ghana is Kente, which is usually vibrantly colored and one of the most popular type of African fabrics on the market today. It is typically woven in 4-inch wide strips that are cut up and sewn into long lengths of cloth to be wrapped around the body. The Asante and Ewe people are the traditional weavers in Ghana, and they use wooden looms where the warp and weft are controlled by pedals held in between the toes. Certain colors and fabrics symbolize and reflect certain customs or beliefs in the Ghanaian culture, and thus Kente cloths create a visual history. Traditionally Kente is only worn for special occasions and rituals, but it is increasingly being used for daily wear and tailored for pattern-cutting and more Westernized clothing styles. Click here to sample some of Source4Style’s Ghanian suppliers.
Japan
Kasuri, the Japanese term for ikat, is an ancient technique of dyeing and weaving used by the people of Japan. This method involves bundling the threads that are to be dyed and covering them with resist-dye, such as wax, rice starch paste or plastic tapes, so that when a color is administered to the other parts of the thread, some of it remains undyed. After unbundling, these threads create blurred and splashed designs on the cloth once it is woven. The threads may also be stitched or pleated to create resist-dye areas, which is known as the shibori technique. Specific to Japan is the method of creating picture kasuri, where an intricate image or design is woven into the cloth by using resist-dyeing. Futon covers, jackets and blankets are traditionally covered in kasuri pictures and symbols that represent prosperity and longevity. Kasuri is a very time-consuming weaving technique that demands skill, and is unfortunately no longer widely practiced.
Peru
The women throughout the Sacred Valley of Peru practice warp-faced weaving, which means the complex iconographic designs in the fabric they make (called pallay) are created by picking up the warp thread rather than using the weft to construct the designs, as is done on most traditional European looms. Most impressively, the warp-faced Andean textile is executed on a mobile back-strap loom, where the loom is strapped around the weaver’s waist and the other end to a tree or post. This creates beautiful variations across the textile face depending on the weaver’s strength and waist size, which affects the tension of fibers. Weavings in their culture are considered a true art form through which artisans can demonstrate their level of skill and commitment to cultural identity. Click here to check out some of Source4Style’s Peruvian textiles with more woven textiles coming soon.
India
Alongside cotton, silk weaves are produced in vast quantities in may different parts of India. The specialty of the Varanasi weaving centers is heavy gold brocade, which consists of an extra weft of gold thread that runs across the warp threads. Silk weaving in West Bengal has developed into the production of brocades with untwisted silk thread that mimic Indian miniature paintings, called the Baluchar techniques. Gujarat is another important brocade center, and is where extra weft brocade was developed. The weavers here use a base of satin and the extra weft floats are merged into the fabric. South Indian silk weaves are very different, consisting of heavy silk and broad borders with elaborate patterns. These patterns are usually part of the woven fabric and not made with an extra weft, complimenting the traditional use of contrasting colors. Click here to view some of Source4Style’s favorite silk weaves from India.
Madagascar
The traditional Malagasy weft-design textile, known as lamba akotofahana, has gone from a cloth of the nobility to a standard for of female attire in the form of a shoulder wrap. Geometric and floral weft-float patterns are used to embellish woven cloths, requiring skills for using an open loom. Traditionally these cloths and designs are bold with striking color combinations, but more subtle white wraps embellished with floral motifs and grapevines are also popular. The more elaborate and intricate the pattern on the textile, the more technical expertise required on the part of the weaver. These cloths are considered very valuable due to the time and skills put into weaving them, and are given as gifts to foreign dignitaries recognized for prestige. After nearly dying out in the late 19th century, the technique experienced a revival in the 1990’s, bringing back the elaborate and colorful weaves of earlier times. Stay tuned in the upcoming months for some Malagasy-sourced lambas on Source4Style. ♥
