Production of Thai silk fabrics The production of Thai silk fabrics has been carried out for hundreds of years by local people in the northeastern part of the country. In the past, people wove silk fabrics in their daily lives to make different types of garments for themselves. As Thai silk fabrics became more popular, people began to weave silk fabrics for commercial purposes. Their silk fabrics are famous for their unique colours and designed patterns.
Thai silk fabrics are woven with silk yarns produced by silk worms. The production process begins with people planting white mulberries. Silk worms live on the leaves of these mulberries. They live inside cocoons and feed on the leaves of these mulberries. Then, at an appropriate time, the cocoons are spun into silk yarns.
The yarns, with the original cream colour, are bleached in a mixture of hot water and a chemical substance to become white. Then, the yarns are wound into a long, continuous line which is smooth, shiny, and flexible. The yarns are dyed and then woven to create different types of Thai silk fabrics.
Silk weaving process
There are several weaving methods of which different types of Thai silk fabrics are produced. Every piece of Thai silk fabric consists of weft and warp yarns. Weft yarns are the yarns woven across the downward set of yarns while the warp yarns are the yarns running along the length of the fabric. The most common type of Thai silk, or plain-colour Thai silk fabric, is woven with weft and warp yarns of different colours. The result is a single piece of plain-colour silk fabric with a glossy look.
Thai silk fabrics are woven manually with one of the two handlooms called “Kee Mue” and “Kee Kratuk”. Weavers must use both their hands and feet at the same time to produce a piece of silk fabric. Skilled weavers must know how to balance their feet and hands to produce a beautiful piece of Thai silk fabric.
How to take care of Thai silk
Before using Thai silk
The fabrics should be soaked in water or steamed with a special chemical substance so that they will not shrink after the first wash.
Washing Thai silk
It is recommended that Thai silk fabrics be dry-cleaned to maintain the original characteristics of the fabrics. The fabrics can also be washed by hand with care. In this case, the mildest soap is recommended. Only the small amount of soap is needed as silk resists soiling. Rinse the fabrics in cold water as many times as necessary, never wring them.
Never put Thai silk fabrics in a washing machine because the fabrics will be very crumpled and will lose their original shapes.
Hanging Thai silk
Thai silk fabrics should be hanged to dry in shade or under light sunlight because strong sunshine can cause the colours of the fabrics to become pale.
Ironing Thai silk
To iron Thai silk, iron it on the wrong side just before it becomes dry, or put a damp cloth over the surface and iron it.
For very crumpled silk, spray some water on to the fabric. Put it in a plastic bag. Then, put the plastic bag in the freezer for about 10 minutes. By this way, it will be easier to iron the fabric because the fabric is thoroughly damp.
