Kaithoon village near Kota in Rajasthan is famous for its diaphanous self checkered weave. Hand weaving in this rural area has seen severe setbacks due to machine knockoff fabrics.
Warp setup takes place early in the morning near the Chambal river bank. Morning mist from the river helps keep fine silk yarns intact during warping. Wild onion juice is applied with a grass brush over the yarns, which helps the long warp threads resist breakage during weaving.
Our commitment to work with women centered craft clusters brought us to this village and we have stayed here for this reason. Whole families are engaged in this process, with deep ancestral knowledge of yarn and warp preparation and working with super fine yarns. Most women weavers practicing this craft belong to the marginalized Muslim artisan community. Handwoven, hand block printed and hand embellished, all using natural fibers and low impact azo-free dyes.
