Mudmee Silk
Naturally-dyed
The Charms of Naturally-produced Beautiful Silk
Khonkaen Province
The Charms of Naturally-produced Beautiful Silk
Khonkaen Province
The secrets of natural dyeing and hand-weaving silk have been handed on through generations of families. This results in the production of beautiful Mudmee silk, know locally and internationally.
The silk is dyed with natural colors taken from plants in the villages. The colors are beautiful, not too dark like the chemically-produced ones. They also don’t fade.
The silk here is different from other places because we do everything from culturing the mulberries to weaving the fabrics.
The silk is dyed with natural colors taken from plants in the villages. The colors are beautiful, not too dark like the chemically-produced ones. They also don’t fade.
The silk here is different from other places because we do everything from culturing the mulberries to weaving the fabrics.
The elaborate process of making Mudmee silk begins with the silkworms. They are hatched and fed shredded mulberry leaves for about 3 to 4 days. Then they moult and grow bigger. After moulting, the worms are inactive and don`t eat for l day. At this stage they are called sleeping silkworms. Then, the worms eat for a second period of 2 to3 days, moult, and sleep for another day and night. They wake up in their third phase and start eating whole leaves for 3-4 days, before moulting again. In the 4th period, the worms eat a great deal and grow quickly for 3 to 4 days and then moult.
The last period takes about 7-8 days during which the worms eat more mulberry leaves and become fully-grown. Silk glands develop and the bodies become yellow, a so-called ripe silkworm. The body becomes a little shorter and transparent. They stop eating, raise their heads and look for a place to make a cocoon. The ripe silkworms are collected into Jor - weaving/threshing baskets with several overlapping circular grooves to allow the pupae to spin a web and make cocoons. After a while, the dark yellow cocoons are ready to shed the silk. Before doing that, the bad ones are removed in order to maintain good quality silk.
The cocoons are then placed in hot water at approximately 90 degrees C. The selected silk cocoons are then reeled and pressed under water in order to remove any air. The inner cocoons are softened and the vvhole cocoons become transparent. The boiled cocoons have fibers sticking out which are fully pulled and spun so that one single fiber is produced from one cocoon. The yarns are then cleansed in boiling alkaline solution that also softens them. The silk yarns are then cleansed in boiling alkaline solution that also softens them. The yarns are spun to make just one strand. They are then processed in tie and dye technique with natural colors from different barks found in the local area.
The colors depend upon the plants. For example, mango bark gives green, Burmese Rosewood bark brown, Siamese Ebony Tree gives black, and Butterfly Pea gives purple.
The yarns are boiled again in order to fix the colors. Finally, they are woven on hand- looms producing beautiful soft and shiny fabric.
Products from the Naturally-Dyed Mudmee Silk Group of Ban Nong Ya Plong vary from naturally-dyed mudmee silk for making dresses, scarves, and shawls, to ready—made silk cloths. The award of 0TOP 5-Star Product Champion of 2006 and recognition from several other institutions are indications of the quality and beauty of the silk.
Those interested in the process of making naturally—dyed mudmee can come to study here. There are home-stay services to welcome you. Those who fall for the charm of this beautiful silk can purchase it here by travelling 48 kilometers along highway 2062 from KhonKaen to Phra Yuen to Mancha Khiri. Phon Phek sub-district is about 5 kilometers north of Mancha Khiri district.
Producer of Naturally-dyed Mudmee Silk Group
At Ban Nong Ya Plong
36 Mu 9 Phon Phek, Sub-district
Mancha Khiri District
Khonkane 40160
Source of information: OTOP Stories from Thai Local Wisdom Book; by OSMEP
Those interested in the process of making naturally—dyed mudmee can come to study here. There are home-stay services to welcome you. Those who fall for the charm of this beautiful silk can purchase it here by travelling 48 kilometers along highway 2062 from KhonKaen to Phra Yuen to Mancha Khiri. Phon Phek sub-district is about 5 kilometers north of Mancha Khiri district.
Producer of Naturally-dyed Mudmee Silk Group
At Ban Nong Ya Plong
36 Mu 9 Phon Phek, Sub-district
Mancha Khiri District
Khonkane 40160
Source of information: OTOP Stories from Thai Local Wisdom Book; by OSMEP