Traditional textiles of India

By k.chandran, tech: supdt:[processing]

IIHTKannur

evolution• From the available information it is presumed that

tree loom is the first weaving machine on which the mankind start the weaving.

• Weaving in India was known about 8000 BC years ago as historians has found some information.

• It is a matter of controversy whether wool, linen, silk or cotton was developed as raw material for weaving.

• But one thing is sure that it may be started with the advent of various crafts developed as a part of agricultural practices.

The loom

• Loom is a machine in which warp and weft is inserted to form fabrics through weaving.

• From tree loom it has developed and transformed much with human society as a tool for hand crafted fabric production.

handlooms• Tree loom• Vertical frame loom• Loin loom• Primitive loom• Tape loom• Throw shuttle pit loom• Fly shuttle pit loom• Raised pit loom• Frame loom• Dobby loom• Jacquard loom

Kancheepuram saree• Kancheepuram is now a town 74 km away from Chennai, in

tamilnadu.• It is famous for the pure silk saree with golden zari designs.• The specialty of the sarees are the solid borders, solid body,

solid pallav or munthani.• Solid colour means that the colour of warp and weft in the

respective area should be of same colour.• The saree is woven on 2 or 3 ply 20/22 denier silk yarn in

warp and 3 or 4 ply 20/22 denier silk weft.• Elaborate designs in extra warp and extra weft butta designs

are used that also with golden or silver zari thread.

Banaras saree• Banaras otherwise known as kasi or Varanasi is famous for

silk sarees , the special occasion sarees from Banaras are called brocades.

• This Sarees are woven in 13/15 denier pure silk warp and weft.

• Sarees are also decorated with elaborate designs in border , body and pallav.

• Body Designs are all over patterns woven with extra weft material of golden or silver zari.

• Solid colour weft border is woven with 2 or 3 cut throw shuttles in interlocking by hand ,.[2 weavers].

Phoolkari • It is the art of hand embroidery practiced in Punjab

and some parts of rajasthan.• Mostly applied on sarees and dress materials • Beautiful designs are stitched over the cloth by

hand using embroidery needle.• Multi colour and mostly twisted art silk, silver or

golden zari threads used for the surface ornamentation.

• This art is applied over all variety of clothes like cotton, silk, nylon, polyester etc:

Balaramapuram sarees• The specialty of balaramapuram saree is its extra warp and

extra weft design on fine or superfine natural grey cotton yarn.• Saree is woven with 100’s cotton warp and weft in 88’s reed in

84-88 ppi, width 48” and length varies from 5.5 metre to 6.25 metre.

• Extra warp and weft threads are mostly half fine or fine zari thread for designing with sometimes decorated with coloured cotton yarn.

• The peculiar interlacement structure gives designs in face and back equal appearance. that is the uniqueness of balaramapuram sarees in the design world.

Jamdani saree• Jamdani is the wedding saree of people of west bengal.it

is derived originally from famous dacca muslin.• It is mostly woven in cotton fine yarn and rarely in silk

materials also used.• The special feature of design is the plain weave woven

extra weft motifs in body and pallav.[extra weft is inserted in plain weave shed itself].

• So even when very elaborate designs are woven covering the entire pallav the cloth gets more weight and strength.

kasooti• Kasooti in kannada means needle. the hand

embroidery designs created over the sarees and other dress materials are called kasooti work as needles are used to stitch this typical style of designs.

• 60’s and 80’s cotton coloured yarn woven using 72’s or 80’s reed are used for making this sarees.

• This art of surface ornamentation is practiced in hubli, dharwad, and gadag districts of Karnataka.

• This decorative designed sarees are once famous as ilkal sarees from the village where it is originated.

Bandhani • Bandhani,shibori,laharia and mothra are basically designs

produced over plain cloth using the tie and dye technique.• The specialty of bandhani is the design formation on multy

coloured round spots.• The cloth meant for bandhani is scoured, bleached for having

good white ground and to have better penetration of dyes.• The cloth is laid over the table and designs are imprinted over

by using wooden blocks and washable colour.• The lady on work will first tie spots all around the circle line and

then put the required spots inside the circle.• The cloth after putting the knots is taken for dyeing, mostly

cold brand of dyes.

laharia• Laharia means waves. The wave effect is brought on the cloth by

the art of tie and dye.• Laharia work is applied on sarees and churidarh set.• The cloth is scoured and bleached for getting whiteness and good

absorbency. the cloth is then made into a rope form.• One end of the roped cloth is provided with a rotating handle and

the other end a hook.• In The tightened rope cloth , thick twine rope is tied with knots at

frequent intervals without cutting twine in between the knots.• then tied cloth rope is taken for dyeing and on completion of

dyeing process, coloured wavy lines are formed as a design all over the fabric.

shibori• Shibori is the beautiful tie and dye fabric produced in

jodhpur , rajasthan.this art of tie and dye is applied over dress materials particularly churidarhs.

• Bed sheets ,bedspreads, table covers are also produced .• Multy colours are dyed over the cloth mostly in round

form and the colours are bright red, yellow and green. Nowadays dark blue is also used to dye .

• Rajasthani people can never avoid these colours because of their environment and so in our market it is known as rajasthani prints.

Jamukkalam or durry• Durry is a heavy plain woven fabric, generally used for floor

coverings.• Durries are produced on coarse count warp and weft….2/10’s warp

and 2or3 plies of 10’s weft. 4/6’s warp and 20 plies of 20’s yarn weft is also used in some parts . The count of warp and weft being depend upon the weight required.

• In durries weft predominates in much more than warp and designs are appearing on the surface of the cloth by weft.

• Natural grey yarn is used for warp and multy coloured weft stripes forms the designs.

• Various sized durries are used as floor coverings, table mats, door mats, table runners, namaz mats, and panthi roll.

• Tamilnadu ,particularly bhavani area is famous for its durry weaving.

Sonpur saree• Sonpur , butapalli, navpatna are handloom weaving centres in

the state of orissa.• Weavers of these area weaves beautiful multy coloured extra

weft designed sarees.• 2/120’s mercerised cotton warp and weft is common on 80’s

reed and 64 ppi.• The lay out of the pallav is well planned with repeated floral and

butta designs of natural and geometric concepts.• The colour concept for both body and pallav are mostly

subdued and pastel.• Simple extra warp designs are woven in both borders but body

portion is mainly plain woven.

Patola saree• Patola is the famous Guajarati wedding saree.• Patola or paithani sarees are woven in pure silk both in

warp and weft using tie and dye technique in designs.• This sarees are otherwise known as double ikat sarees.

The fineness and quality in designs are the special feature of patolas.

• Motifs used are stylized animals, like elephant camels,tigers,birds and flowers in symmetrical motifs.

• Colours used are deep red,blue yellow and white.

Kasaragode sarees

• Colorful sarees with attractive borders and pallav, that stands in the forefront of traditional culture.

• Unique manufacturing process in weaving warp sizing method.

• Designs are by forming thin stripes and checks in the body and borders with solid colour pallav using tie and dye techniques.

Kannur shirtings

• Traditionally producing unique coloured stripes and check shirting's.

• Using high quality vat dyes in shade matching method vibrant colour patterns are produced.

• Structure wise, the flexibility of Malabar frame looms are utilized to weave multy treadles weave designs.

Kannur furnishings• As a result of foreign missionary work and the

renaissance movement around the last century the traditional handlooms have started producing towels, bed sheets, table linens , rugs and other home furnishing.

• Multy treadle designs in attractive checks and stripes , ecofriendly colours using vat dyes matched with customized colour palette is the uniqueness of kannur furnishings.

• Kannur furnishings meets international standards and registered under geographical indication registry.

Palakkad set mundu

• Using fine cotton natural grey yarn for warp and weft with colour threads in both borders palakkad traditional weavers produces the elegant Kerala sets.

• It is the Kerala special contribution to the whole dress world.

• Design weaving technique is the unique by using a special looping system for making shed to introduce extra weft material.

Kuthampilly sarees• By weaving extra warp designs in borders and

extra weft designs in body and pallav, this typical Kerala saree is the contribution of traditional weavers of kuthampilly handloom cluster.

• Fine cotton natural grey yarn with half fine zari threads for design work is used to manufacture sarees in this area.

• Dobby and jacquards are used in weaving such designs.

Chendamangalam dhoties• The tradition of handlooms in chendamangalam area

is to produce fine cotton dhoties.100’s or 80’s cotton warp and weft yarn is used in natural grey in colour..

• The warping method synchronized with special warp sizing given imparts the unique character of chendamangalam dhoties to the effect that it becomes more supple in repeated washings.

• Weave structure used is plain weave only. dhoty border may be of coloured cotton threads or half fine zari.