Making Process

Design Resource

Silk Weaving - Thirubuvanam

The Art of Weaving

Prof. Bibhudutta Baral, Amruthalakshmi Rajagopalan and Anisha Crasto

Making Process

Silk production process is very complex and starts after dyeing the silk and involves various stages such as spinning, warping, loading warp and weaving.

Spinning Process:
The silk after dyeing is brought for spinning process. Bundle of yarn is placed on the spinning wheel. The silk strand is reeled to spindle and the wheel is operated. The yarn from big hank or Charka-spinning wheel is transferred into spindles. These spindles are later used to insert into fly-shuttle which is used in the weaving process.

Warping Process:
The warping is carried out in streets preferably in the early morning, so that the color of the silk yarn does not fade. The length of the yarn is tied between the two poles and it is stretched. Entangles in the yarn are checked and the breaks are knotted. A cotton thread is laced into the warp as it is easy to trace the entangled silk threads.

Setting the Loom:
The loom setting activity is done before weaving process. The yarn after warping is prepared into warp sheets by rolling the length of yarn to an iron rod. The process of transferring the warp sheet into weavers beam is called beaming. In this process the strands of yarn passes through the reeds and healds. This is done by joining each silk strand to the old warp threads manually. It takes nearly 2-3 days to complete the joining process. Generally women in the family perform the joining process.

Computerized Design Process:
Technology is also a part in the production of silk saris. The automated design process has replaced the traditional design process. The image of the motif is first scanned and then it is traced and filled with bitmaps. Finally the image is transferred to the punch cards. Now the punch cards are attached in the form of a chain and loaded into the jacquard machine to start weaving. This automated process is simple and time saving.

Weaving Process:
Weaving is done on the fly shuttle pit looms. The weaver interlaces the silk threads of weft and warp. The shuttle passes through the opens formed when the pedal is operated to interlock the threads of warp and the weft. Once the shuttle is passed, the suspended sley is pulled to form the weave. The proton of woven cloth is wounded to the wooden beam which is located in front of the weaver. After weaving of 6 yards of weft, the portion of unwoven warp is intentionally left before and after the sari weaving which is later knotted for fringe. Thus the weaving is completed- the sari is smoothened using brass metal blade and sari is folded in traditional manner for the market. It takes nearly 4 to 5 days to complete one sari. The length of 10 saris warp is loaded into the loom at a time. The weaver may need 1 or 2 persons to help him while working.

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Silk Weaving - Thirubuvanam