Preparation of Ikat Silk for weaving into Sinh Fabric in Laos

Ikat Weaving Process in the Tai Daeng Village of Nongbouatong from Laos Essential Artistry on Vimeo.

This is a SLOW video. Have you heard of the Slow Food Movement? I mean... that kind of slow. The kind of video that is just like being there. Sitting quietly, observing, absorbing the weaving life of these Tai Daeng women. But, they're not weaving here. They are involved in wrapping silk threads to create ikat patterns and also removing the plastic wrapped threads after the silk has been dyed. It's a slow, pain-staking process, but like much of the work in Laos, it's buffered by the chance for conversation. People don't realize how much work goes into the creation of ikat textiles, whether they be scarves or sinhs. There's the initial process of tie-dying the silk and then the actual weaving. This video lets you feel like you're there, sitting with the women. We have some beautiful ikat textiles that are a tremendous bargain considering the artistry and time it takes both to create the ikat and weave the textiles. Check out our Ikat Sinhs and our exclusive Silk Ikat Display Textiles