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 The origin of fabric wearing is still not known. The evidence of the weaving
items similar to fabric woven found at various archaeological sites, supports speculation that fabric weaving may have evolved from rope making and mat or
basket weaving from prehistoric times. Therefore it could be said that the art of fabric making is one of the oldest crafts in the world.
The principle of fabric weaving is to weave two groups of threads, one called warp, the other called weft. A simple pattern is Lai Kat. Design patterns and colour
can be added to make fabrics more attractive.
The procedure of fabric weaving
1. The threads of each spool pass though suspended loops, then through holes in a warping paddle. The large warping board stands upright. The warp being drawn up and
down as one works from left to right pegs. The end is slipped onto the warp beam and the whole spread evenly before being rolled onto the beam.
To form the warping cross, half the threads are passed over and half under a shed separator (two beams one above the other). Heddle string are threaded around the under
heddle bar which can be manipulated through a series of levers by pulling a rope sling with the big toe. The whole warp is passed through a reel.
2. The weaving begins by pushing down the harness to separate the two sets of warp threads, leaving space to shoot the shuttle alternately back and forth.
3. After each shuttle pass, the reed is moved up and down to tighten the thread and obtain a thicker fabric.
4. The fabric is rolled toward the weaver in a rolling beam then adjusted on the warp beam again.
Plain Cloth Weaving
The basic weaving technique uses the same or different colors in the warp and weft. Sometimes gold or silver threads can be woven into the weft to give a sheen to the fabric.
Special techniques in fabric weaving
Khit
is a technique to create design using continuous supplementary weft.
Chok
(to pick out) refers to a weaving technique whereby warp yarns are picked out by hand to weave discontinuous
supplementary weft. In this way, many colours can be added to the weft to create beautiful colour patterns. It takes more time to weave chok, so it can only be a narrow stripe of cloth. Usually Chok
is used as a hem band on the tubeskirt called Sin tin chok
Mud mee
weaving is a weft ikat technique. Using a resistance to dye technique on the yarn before weaving. The effect
from this dyeing technique is to produce the different shades of colours. Threads, when spooled on the weft and woven,
create a pattern, which is a special effect of Mud mee. This type of fabric needs great expertise in weaving. There are many designs such as:
1. Mud mee weft
2. Mud mee warp
3. Mud mee warp and weft
Yok woven
is a technique used to refer to various types of twill weave. The designs are usually related to every day life,
add environment and religious belifs such as Lai Prasart, Lai Thamas, Lai Sat (animal) Lai Deush (Plants) pattern from household items or geometry pattern.
Mook Woven
It is one of the woven techniques that is rarely used today. The Pha mook technique used extra warp threads over the
ordinary, warp threads on the loom. The pattern is created by using continuous supplementary and discontinuous
supplementary weaving in a weft and warp. It is confusing for the weaver so there are not many weavers who can weave this
cloth. The Tai Puan at Had Swaw Sukhothai province and at Laplae district Urraradit province weave this pattern in a small green pattern on a tubeskirt (pha sin)
Woven Kho or luang techniques
It is a continuous supplementary pattern of many colors weft with the catch in different places creating a stripe of pattern like rolling river. That is why the pattern is called Nam Lai
In Nan province called it Luang (to pull out) Tai Lue in Chiang Khong and Chiang Kham called it Kot
(to hold together). Famous locations for this type of pattern are in Nan, Chiang Rai and Phayao province.
Hang krarok or two skicns woven
It is a technique of twisted two colored yarn in a weft or a warp where desirable. This technique called Pan Kai such as the
Chieng San waisth and of a tubeskirt, or woven using the twisted two coloured yarn in a warp such as Sinta, Sin Kan of Yuan Chaeng Mai
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