Apparel November 2019 Apparel November 2019 issue | Page 80

FABRIC SPEAK
DURING THE SILK-MAKING
PROCESS, ONLY A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF SILK FIBRES IS
SELECTED TO BE REELED INTO A
YARN. THE REST IS ESSENTIALLY
WASTE SILK.
re-spun and called ‘spun silk’. The leftover that
is further procured from the spun silk is known
as noil, which has ornamental functions. Waste
in spun-silk mills is hence spun to get noil.
Matka sailk is spun out of waste mulbrerry silk.
Predominantly hand-spun, this silk is traditionally
made using a clay pot, which, in colloquial Hindi,
is known as ‘matka’—this is where the silk derives
its name from. Matka silk is coarser and slightly
rougher, and is popularly used to make fabrics,
shirting, and made-ups. Dupion silk, on the other
hand, is reeled from more than two cocoons.
NON-MULBERRY SILKS
The hues of tussar silk range from creamish
brown to deep brown. It is essentially wild silk,
which is majorly cultivated by the tribes of West
Bengal. Today, most of the tussar silk-rearing
takes place under controlled conditions and in
stages. The tribes rear the worms and safeguard
them until they reach the pupal stage. The
cocoons are then sold to reeling units. Tussar
silk is coarser than mulberry silk and does not
possess its sheen. Another variety of tussar is
called the oak tussar, which is produced as a
result of worms feeding on oak trees. China also
produces oak tussar, which is alternatively known
as Chinese tussar. In India presently, tussar silk
finds its place in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar,
Chattisgarh, and several Northeastern states
including Assam. Uttarakhand is also known to
have followed suit, and started experimenting
with oak tussar. This silk variant can also be
blended in with muga and eri silks, and
angora wool.
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November 2019
the imagination of textile designers, artists, and
enthusiasts. Apart from Varanasi, UP is home to
the towns of Mubarakpur and Mau, which are
equally well known for their silk production.
When it comes to West Bengal, Malda and
Baluchari silks are the most admired. In Orissa,
on the other hand, the handloomed Bomkai sari
is used widely, thanks to its simple, coarse, and
comfortable make. Similarly celebrated are the
vibrant Paithanis of Maharshtra and patolas
of Gujarat.
During the silk-making process, only a certain
amount of silk fibres is selected to be reeled into
yarn. The rest is essentially waste silk, which is