Apparel November 2019 Apparel November 2019 issue | Page 75

FABRIC SPEAK
Amir Khusrau is said to have described the fabric
in the following words, “A hundred yards of it can
pass through the eye of the needle, so fine is its
texture, and yet the point of the steel needle can’t
pierce through it easily. It is so transparent and
light that it looks as if one is in no dress at all but
has only smeared the body with pure water.”
Spinning is the backbone of this industry.
Muslin yarn is strengthened by being dipped
in water, after which it is taken up for spinning.
The strength and delicacy of the yarn is what
makes the fabric so special. The fact that muslin
is used the world over to create numerous textile
variations is proof of how crucial the fabric is to
the industry. It is versatile, sturdy when required,
and can be moulded and sculpted as desired.
Of all fabrics, muslin may be a bit underrated but
with the right handling, it can change the face of
any piece it is used to stitch.
A regular muslin cloth can have a width that is
anywhere from 45" to 120", and is an ideal choice
to prepare toiles due to its relatively low costs.
THE SPECIFICS
Muslin is a woven cotton fabric that is made
in a wide range of counts, resulting in both
fine, delicate weaves and coarse ones. The
uniqueness of the fabric lies in its make, which
gives rise to an ethereal texture. It is said that
muslin was originally produced in Bengal using
phuti karpas, a special cotton plant that grew
along the banks of the Meghna and Shitalakshya
rivers; it would then be traded in Machilipatnam,
Andhra Pradesh, and other places around the
world. The demand for the fabric was high during
the time of the Mughals but it was the Nawabs
of Murshidabad and Dhaka in particular, who
patronised it to the fullest. Muslin can be largely
seen adorned with jamdani motifs, and it comes
in variants such as plain, striped, and chequered.
THE FACT THAT MUSLIN IS USED
THE WORLD OVER TO CREATE
NUMEROUS TEXTILE VARIATIONS
IS PROOF OF HOW CRUCIAL THE
FABRIC IS TO THE INDUSTRY.
APPAREL
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November 2019
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