Dong Tribal handwoven hemp/cotton- Persimmon

Medium weight: suitable for jackets, trousers, skirts & some home applications.

This kind cloth is a unique traditional craft from the Dong women, of the Congjiang area, Guizhou Province. The front side has a sheen that is unique to these special textiles, the process is as follows: The handspun cotton thread is woven on a backstrap loom to create cloth. This is then dipped into a tub of indigo, rinsed in water then hung to dry- and repeated over and over- the more dips of indigo, the darker the fabric and the more times the fabric is aired, the tighter the texture. Once the color is dark, the cloth is then soaked in with raw (cow)hide, pig's blood and a mixture of pounded persimmon peels and chestnut shells to create the brown color and to make the cloth stiff like it’s starched. Finally, its coated in egg white and pounded on a stone slab with a heavy wooden mallet until the glossy sheen is produced. The process of of making this cloth takes about 11 months.

• approx 15”wide and sold by the 1/2 yard.

• Fabric has a selvedge edge on the long sides.

• Hand wash gently, hang to dry

• Purchase a sample to check the color and weight

• 100% cotton, see description above for the finishing additives