The Cotton Weaning Industry of Inlay

Most people, depending on the terrain and climate of their environment or on the kind of raw materials available, wear clothing made of silk, satin, cotton.
But from the point of view of health, clothes made of cotton are the best. So, especially when the weather turns warm, we normally choose cotton wear. Pure cotton fabrics are available in our country. The people of Innlay region, which lies in the south-eastern part of the Shan State, are very talented and innovative in weaving and designing cotton and silk fabrics and in sewing attractive articles from materials such as silk, cotton and wool.

The young girls who need very good reflexes and a lot of practice and skill to work with hand looms. A good weaver needs concentration of mind and perfect co-ordination of eyes, hands and feet to work the loom, to produce a handsome fabric from which all manner of articles may be sewn.

Of the many fabrics produced by the looms of Innlay, one of the most charming accessories is the shoulder bag, generally known as a “ Shan Bag ”, although many other regions in Myanmar produce different versions of the same bag.

This shoulder bag made of cloth of variegated colours is stitched together from wool and from cotton material woven on a small low back-strap hand loom known as “Jut-Khok”.

The weaver sits on the floor with both legs outstretched and a belt strapped around her waist to keep the hundreds of thread in line. She then has to beat each thread into place with a piece of flat wood, hence the name “Jut Khok”(hacking into place).

With this small traditional loom, the young girls, with utmost patience weave pattern of fabulous mythical creatures like the `Tonaya`, a lion-like creature of the Himalayan regions, dragon, fishing boat, as well as symmetrical squares, stars, dots and stripes. The bags with their eye-catching patterns are a favourite with young and old, and much in demand by foreign tourists.

The Innlay region also produces “ pasoe”(men’s wear) and “ htamein” (women’s wear), of the best cotton in all colours and designs especially for the ladies. The men’s wear is more sober but the material for both is smooth and flawless. So, if you desire not just piece of cotton fabric, but one with the right colours and attractive designs. Then the variety of cotton material produced by the Innlay region will certainly have something special.