CRAFT

The Kancheevaram is regaled as the undisputed Queen of Sarees. The ancient temple town of Kanchipuram in South India is still home to its loom artisans; they are said to be decedents of Sage Markanda, the exalted weaver to the Gods. The term Kancheevaram itself is a homage to its lineage; Kanchee (an alternative spelling of the town) and Varam (meaning boon) combine to mean a gift from that most sacred settlement.

Not much has changed in the Kanjivaram Sarees’s 400-year weaving history.Lustrous Mulberry Silk and Pure Zari are brought together on handlooms to create a 3 ply Silk Saree that has an unmatched lustre. The motifs woven into the fabric pay homage to the sculptures and carvings found in the temples of Kanchipuram and echo a grandeur of a time gone by.

A Kancheevaram Saree is not just a weave, it is a narrative of skill and splendour that becomes a part your own family legacy.

Dyeing Process

The length of raw silk is first divided in to 3 segments using rubber tube to make 3-saris. Hence these silk segments are coloured separately as per the requirements. The border and pallu of a silk saree are dyed in single colour. But the body of the sari is dyed in contrast color of border and pallu.

*To start dyeing process, water is boiled in a huge copper container.

*Once water is boiled at high temperature, the dye materials–washing soda, soap oil, dye colour are added to the boiling water.

*The o -white silk yarn is dipped into the coloured boiling solution.

*After dyeing, the coloured yarn is immersed normal water to remove excess colour.

*The yarn is taken out from the container and it is allowed to dry for 2 to 3 days.

Red, green, blue and mustard are the popular colours used in dyeing process.

Traditional Spinning Process

The colored silk is brought for spinning process. The yarn bundle is rst spun onto a traditional bamboo spool locally called as Parivattam.

Then, the yarn from these spools is again spun onto spindles with the help of spinning wheel. Silk strand is reeled to spindle and the spinning wheel is operated. The yarn from bamboo spool is transferred into spindles. These spindles are used to insert into y-shuttle which is used while weaving to weave the weft.

The spinning process is done to avoid entangles in the yarn and to ensure the easy weaving.

Warping Process

The length of silk yarn after dyeing is brought simultaneously winding process. The warping is carried out in streets preferably in the early morning, so that the color of the silk yarn would not be sun-bleached.

The length of the yarn is tied between the two poles and the warp is stretched. Entangles in the yarn are checked and then knotted. A cotton thread is laced into the warp as it helps to trace the entangled silk threads. Once the warping is completed, the yarn is dipped in rice starch solution-Kanjito obtain more shine and luster.

The yarn is loaded to warping machine to prepare warp beam. This is loaded into loom to start weaving process. The length of the warp 18 meters which can make three saris of 6 meters each. Nearly 3 to 5 artisans required to complete warping process. Count of warp threads ranges 5000 to 6000. Each thread of warp is 2 ply and weft is 4 ply.

Weaving Process In Handlooms

Weaving is done on the y shuttle pit looms. The weaver interlaces the silk threads of weft and warp. The shuttle passes through the opens formed when the pedal is operated to interlock the threads of warp and the weft.

Once the shuttle is passed, the suspended rope from jacquard is pulled to form the weave. The proton of woven cloth is wounded to the wooden beam which is in front of the weaver.

After weaving of 6 meters of weft, the portion of unwoven warp is intentionally left before and after the sari weaving which is later knotted for fringe.

Thus the weaving is completed, the unwoven stands are cut out with a small metal blade and sari is folded in traditional manner for the marketing.

It takes nearly 4 to 5 days to complete one sari. The length of 10 saris warp is loaded into the loom at a time. The weaver may need 1 or 2 persons help while working.