The Beauty of Handwoven Fabrics
Mood:  cool
Topic: Weaving
Not long after arriving in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, I developed a fascination with the art of hand weaving silk and cotton fibers. In my native country, Australia, this process is only ever witnessed in museums and craft fairs. But here, in the north of Thailand, hand looms are a common sight, the tradition having been passed down from mother to daughter, for countless generations.

   I wanted to start a business here, something in which I could involve my wife and her family, and I decided to specialize in locally produced, handwoven silk and cotton products. It took nearly a year to find the right suppliers, someone to create our range of bags and purses, and to get our website up and running.

 We launched our website, "Lanna Charm", on the 3rd of January, 2007.

 Although we source most of our fabrics locally, and our bags are handmade by a family here in Chiang Rai, we do a lot of traveling around south-east Asia, looking for new and interesting products for the website. So far I have been to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as a recent trip to Nepal and Tibet. Also I do many miles driving around the north of Thailand, one of my favorite areas being the road that follows Mekong River, forming the border with Laos.

 Last year I did the 2 day boat trip down the Mekong River, from Chiang Khong, in Thailand, to Luang Prabang in Laos. We buy silk scarves and Tai Lue cotton from a village outside of Luang Prabang.

 Everywhere I go, I take photos of people weaving, and have built up quite a collection. Each area has it's particular style of weaving loom, and it's own  unique finished product.

 If you would like to take a look at our entire product range, and our blog, please visit our "Lanna Charm" website, at     http://lannacharm.com

 We have a wide range of handcrafted fashion accessories and home decor products, all created from handwoven silk, cotton and hemp fibers. Our products are available on a wholesale or retail basis.

If you need any information about our products, or travelling around any of the Asian countries, please contact us, via the website, and we will be glad to help you.

 

 

Handwoven Cotton Fabric, from Chiang Khong, Thailand