Handloom industry is a spine of Sri Lankan economy. The country has a historical connection to Handlooms and the Loom has been portrait generously in local myths and legends. With records of Sri Lanka trading vividly designed cotton Textiles with India and China as far as 1000 years ago, the country has been known as a hotspot of textile manufacturing.

It was in 543 BC that the prince Vijaya with 700 of followers landed on the coppery shores of Tamannawa along the Western coast of Sri Lanka. Cast out to sea by his father that Gujarati King Vijay Bahu’s ship landed to begin the Sinhala cultivation. The ‘Mahavamsa’ or the ‘Great Chronicle’ says that when he stepped ashore, he first show the Yaksha princes Kuweni spinning soft Threads of cotton on her spinning wheel and it is seen than, that the generations of Sri Lankan’s have passed along the tradition of the loom.

Based on these it could be assumed that weaving has taken place in Sri Lanka starting with it is very first inhabitants and today’s local Weavers carry a rich Legacy of culture in inherited skills. The industry has helped showcase the undying creativity of generations of Sri Lankan taking them to the international Arena. A range of designs and color individual and innovative designs, craftsmanship, color combination and patterns are handed down from generation to generation.

The dexterous Sri Lankan textile Weavers since ancient times have been weaving wonders. When we talk about Handloom fabrics, we connect it with ES Handloom fabric’s sarees and sarongs etc.

Today Handloom Industry

Today Sri Lankan handloom industry is basically a cottage industry with a few large manufacturers leading the way.

Most of Sri Lankan Handlooms are made cotton and Silk Threads and many are presented as sarees, showls as well as household linen upholstery, Tapestry and curtain fabrics. These is a are exported around the world and available under local and global brands. Traditional Handlooms of Sri Lanka continue to add colour to many living spaces around the country.

Since 2012 East Star Handlooms great contributes on Sri Lanka’s Handloom industry. Our East Star Handloom is making a huge contribution to the economy of Sri Lanka. This means that our garments are being exported to foreign countries does increasing foreign exchange not only that but our governments have a huge market opportunity both in foreign countries and domestically.

There is immense potential for use alternative raw material abundantly available in Sri Lanka. Traditionally Sri Lankan weavers have been divided into two groups of indigenous weaving communities such as Thalagune and migrants often master weavers from India brought to the island to make fine gold woven clothes for ceremonial use and for the royals. The local Handloom tradition has also been influenced by waves of foreign immigrants such as the moor community, descendants from Arab traders.

Handloom textile weaving is largely a home community based industry. Traditionally Sri Lanka indigenous Weavers have maintained at a different aesthetic, where their patterns and colours tend to be more restrained. Yarn was home spun from cotton cultivated in Chenas while natural dyes were used from seeds, flowers, bark and roots. Most handloom designs debit nature inspired forms and patterns.

Geometrical patterns are also common in Thalagune Textiles such as the Katurumala- crossed petals like a pair of scissors, Botapota- Two Triangles apex to apex and Malpeta- geometrical flower petals. And also, they used Elephants, Sun, moon, star patterns of the weaving fabrics.

At present Handloom, fabrics used as raw materials in various types of apparel products making. This article walks you through the preparatory faces of Handloom fabric production to finished Handloom fabric manufacturing process in our industry of East Star Handlooms.

The major process of manufacturing fabrics at our ES Handlooms, involves the following,

• Dyeing of yarns
• Bobbin winding and warping
• Dressing and winding of warp yarns
• Attaching warp yarns on Loom
• Weft yarn winding
• Weaving fabric in a handloom
• Final handloom products

1.Dyeing of yarns

Our East Star handloom industry is using indigo types of dyeing methods.
Indigo can be used to dye any natural fibre and contains neither harsh chemicals nor toxic metals. Indigo dyes are amusing in the way they are applied. When exposed to oxygen, it becomes insoluble, and as a consequence, does not bond to the fibre. Hence, a deep vat is dug in the ground to keep the dye solution oxygen-free. The hank is dipped, later, is taken out, washed and dried before weaving.

2.Bobbin Winding and Warping

With the help of charkha, the dyed yarn hank gets converted into a linear thread form and wound on the bobbin. This process enables laying out of yarn lengths for weaving. Further, warping is done, which is the parallel arrangement and winding of warp yarn from bobbin to the warp beam. Traditionally, the weavers use a big rotating drum as warp beams and decide the width and length of the final fabric. These drums help them in counting the number and color wise grouping of yarns. Also, the dimensions of the warp are decided by the weaver at this stage.

3.Dressing and Winding

The warp yarns before the size applied warp is loaded onto the loom, the warp yarns are aligned and separated to facilitate smooth weaving. The aligned and starched yarns are carefully wound around a wooden beam and carried to the loom.

4.Attaching Warp Yarns on Loom

Each warp yarn is drawn through heddles and reed and finally tied on both front beam and back beam. According to a pre-determined weave plan, yarns are passed through heddles which separate the warp yarns into two sections between which the weft yarn (horizontal/width-wise yarn) passes.

5.Weft yarns winding

For horizontal or weft yarn preparation, traditionally, charka is used. By the fingertips, correct tension is given to the yarn. A hank of yarn is wound onto a small bobbin called “pirn”. The weft yarn wound on pirn is then inserted into a shuttle (a device used in weaving to carry the weft thread back and forth between the warp threads.)

6.Weaving fabric in a handloom

Weaving is the process of interlacement of warp and weft (vertical and horizontal) sets of yarn. The fabrics which are weaved on handloom are known as handloom products. As the name suggests, handloom is a loom that is used to weave fabrics using hands, that is, without the use of electricity.

The foot pedals are pressed to lift the respective heddles according to the weave plan and it has to be in sync with throwing the weft or horizontal yarns across the two sections of warp yarns. Weavers continue weaving for long hours in a day which requires immense concentration and physical strength.

7.Final Product

weaved handloom cloth come under different types of categories, like saree, top, lungi, sarong and many other handloom accessories for changing life style. East Star built this industry as a contributor to the rural community in Sri Lanka. Hand on entrepreneur with every single element and designs are build by Women in Need.

A satin weave, common for silk, each warp thread floats over 16 weft threads.

In this situation you want to know also about power loom type of weaving. The power loom is doing with help of machineries with electricity. But our ES Handloom industry is using Handloom method for manufacturing fabrics. The handloom experience (soft, comfortable, durable) is due to the handling of the yarn in the weaving process.

The many benefits of handloom

There are multiple tech disruption possibilities here. Handlooms has the opportunity to create a cab aggregator of business modal, which enables matching of disaggregated demand and supply. There is disaggregated supply and disaggregated demand (rural, urban and international)
Handloom is will suited to rural Sri Lanka where they are power problems, as it does not depend on electricity. Power looms can’t give hand woven custom-made designs. Handloom can.

Sri Lanka has a craze for Handloom materials. Home grown silk and cotton textures are said to be of the best quality in the world. Loom machinery is bought, our labour force is trained to be skilled to operate it, and unique fabrics a woven out of it. Most Handloom sarees and sarongs for Woven by family owned looms in rural areas. They are seasoned veterans when it comes to weaving, as each family or community has been in the business for generations. That’s why we can say the Handloom textile industry is the highly labour intensive export oriented rural based industry in Sri Lanka.

Generally, with low capital cost and running expenses Handloom is a household or cottage industry, where skilled hands create value added products.

Another feature is that industry has the flexibility to supply in both small quantities and large quantities as well as styles to fit individual taste and requirements of different buyers from various cultures.

As like this, some small scale Weavers have been given an opportunity to showcase their talents and penetrate International markets. Leading producers have not only found success but also present their wares to tourist to Sri Lanka, which has always resulted in excellent response.

Important of Handloom Industry

In Sri Lanka, the Handloom industry is an important cottage industry because of with thousands of rural women and men depending on its for leaving. The industry provides it artisans as comfortable working environment for staff within the vicinity of their own homes and also flexible hours to attend to their agricultural and home garden plots.

Today all the industry is not as vibrant as it used to be Sri Lankan weavers have succeeded in fashioning and distinctive identity of their own by converting the traditional woven patterns and color schemes into the beautiful modern textile designs. High quality Handloom products by several established companies in the local market and the beautiful unique products made excellent memorabilia of the warm and beautiful island of Sri Lanka.

As we see another feature of Handlooms, rich texture, elegant design and an innate lustre are the perfect phrases to define Handloom clothes extremely comfortable to wear. Handloom Textile includes sarees, sarongs, dhotis, kurtis, shirts etc. for both genders. With Orders and demand for Handloom Textiles coming from all quarters of the globe, the industry is slated to develop to epic portions.

The handloom products making process is a lot of effort but the output of the hard work is spectacular. The resultant saree or sarong comes out exquisitely, full of life and beauty.

Out of all the Handloom Textiles, the most intricate work goes into making Sarees is and sarongs. There are sarees that are made for specific occasions, such as a wedding or festivity and sarees that are made for everyday wear or office wear. Every saree enthusiast must have a few Handloom creation in her wardrobe. They are long lasting. Once will be surprised that even after years of regular wear.

If we think more about handlooms, we can give the following reasons for why we select handlooms and the benefits.

Some of the special features of handloom products are:

• The strength of handwoven product lies in innovative design, which cannot be replicated by the Power loom sector.
• Handwoven product is unparalleled in its flexibility and versatility, permitting experimentation and encouraging innovation.
• Weavers with their skillful blending of myths, faiths, symbols and imagery provide their fabric an appealing charm.
• It projects a unique image for improving the environment.
  It caters to all sections and offers a range that suits every strata of society.
• The industry has the advantage of flexibility of small production Available in a range of fabrics like cotton, silk, jute, wool and synthetic blends.
• Provides employment opportunities to many rural women community.
• On the contrary, handlooms are ideally suited for such work. Clothes with multi – colored contrary designs in which the weft is to be changed very frequently are most suited to handlooms. Clothes with embellishment in the border and heading and entire body with delicate designs in various colors, which calls for individual schemes, can be ideally woven on handlooms.
• Due to the widely perceived need to check greenhouse gas emissions, the case for handloom cloth is becoming stronger by the day. If handloom cloth can be linked. Closely to organic cultivation of non – GM cotton, its strength as eco – friendly cloth can become much stronger. This is going to be a big asset in the days to come.
• This review goes on to detail many kinds of clothes, which are best woven on handlooms. “The clothes made from extremely fine material i.e. yarn count with 100s and above which are delicate, can be woven more safely on the handloom owing to comparative lightness of jerks. The polish of the clothes interwoven with gold or silver thread can be taken out by extremely frictional action of power looms. On the contrary, handlooms are ideally suited for such work. Clothes with multi – colored designs in which the weft is to be changed very frequently are most suited to handlooms. Clothes with embellishment in the border and heading and entire body with delicate designs in various colors, which calls for individual schemes, can be ideally woven on handlooms.

Above all the handloom products items are designed for niche markets where handmade products of high are preferred. Sri Lankan handloom products are capable of supplying numerous products to such markets in Italy, France, Germany, UK, Norway, Netherlands and Maldives, which are some of the largest buyers for Sri Lankan had on textile products.

Awareness of modern design and trends, combined with traditional craftsmanship and the influx of new processing techniques. Sri Lankan handlooms have been given a new life. The industry has gained s dominant identity and foothold in the competitive international market.

Especially our East Star Handlooms has reputation in the Sri Lankan Handloom industry and our products are very best in the handloom market. Visit our East Star Handlooms, get the fascinating looks with our products, and update your wardrobe with our best products.