Kmhmu Kouene women in Phadeng village weave fabric for sin (Lao-style skirts) and shoulder bags on back strap looms. They use a loom with a wider cloth beam to create skirt material decorated with ikat technique or matmii (a type of resist dyeing), which forms the pink and white pattern. A weaver can weave about 1 to 1.5 metres in one day.
Loom for skirt fabric
Kmhmu Kouene. Phadeng Village, Luang Namtha Province
Bamboo, wood, factory-made thread, hand spun cotton thread.
Here is a close-up of the fabric being woven. Note the pink and white ikat pattern:
Loom for bag fabric
Kmhmu Kouene. Phadeng Village, Luang Namtha Province
Bamboo, wood, factory-made thread.
Here’s a close-up of the fabric being woven:
