In one small village, Kyaing Kan on Inle Lake in the Shan State of Burma
Textile silk weavers at Inle Lake. It’s an important industry in Inle Lake. They are all hand made
Lotus weaving. It is only done here at Inle Lake. Lotus thread is very time consuming to make and can only be done at certain times of the year. As a result it is very sacred and respected. Traditionally it has only been used for Monk robes or for scarves for the alters in temples
Buddhist monks’ robes are woven from the fibers of lotus stems. Weaving takes place from June to November when the water level is high enough to induce the lotus plant to produce sufficiently long stems. Once cut, the fibers are drawn from the stems. Threads are formed from the twisting together of 5-6 fibers which are wound into skeins and then reeled for warping and for placement on bobbins prior to weaving on a traditional Tai-Burmese floor loom. (Source
– See more at: http://inlepancakekingdom.com/2011/05/31/the-village-that-makes-lotus-thread/#sthash.ZpVkPDfu.dpuf)
Finished products
in many colours and prints
