Artisan Weaving: Fabric Creation

The artisans are the center of all the fabric needed by us. Year after year, designers collaborate with Fair Trade producer partners to find the best ways to honor traditional techniques like handweaving. Professional sewers use professional-grade industrial sewing machines to create fashions from scratch in modern times.

Handweaving is an age-old craft that has been passed down through the centuries. Handweaving supports more than 10 million people in India and Bangladesh. As a result, the demand for these fabrics is critical to millions of people’s livelihoods.

This weaving method has been passed down through the years and is used to make exquisite handwoven and then hand-embroidered fabrics that are utilized in traditional women’s and men’s clothing. Weaving is a wonderful craft that makes use of gorgeous wooden tools such as looms, shuttles, frames, and more.

The reason that handwoven fabric is undervalued is due to the invention of industrial sewing machines capable of producing large quantities of fabric in a short amount of time. Textiles are everywhere, from teepees to yurts, socks to rugs, wedding veils to curtains, and hand towels to yoga blankets. They are a requirement of everyday living, much like housing, food, and water.

Of course, not everything has to be handwoven or produced by hand. There are certainly advantages to using industry to produce some materials, but this only adds to the beauty, artfulness, and sustainability of handwoven materials.

Traditional textiles from around the world can also be used to visually define culture, region, and social structure. The examples provided here only scrape the surface of the many weaving traditions and techniques available. 

Textiles come in a variety of patterns, colors, textures, and densities to suit a variety of needs. And, in case you didn’t know, weaving is a long, repetitive process that demands a tremendous deal of patience and focused attention. One blunder might result in hours of undoing and repairing. Handcrafted textiles offer the potential to establish a fashion sector that is both environmentally friendly and supportive of craft communities.

Why handwoven fabrics are important?

• Handlooms provide employment opportunities, promote community building, and empower women.

• They are better for the environment because they have a lower carbon footprint.

• The fabric is one of a kind and truly unique.

• They assist in the preservation of traditions.

Even though we are seeing a rebirth in the use of handlooms, we still have a long way to go, and one of the most important things we can do to assist this industry to grow is to educate others about these issues.