94
Y. Luo
Photo 9 Rice milk brushing during yarn making for Xia Bu
Weaving is divided into four steps: brushing, mounting on machine, adding rice
milk and weaving. Weaving high-quality Xia Bu requires special skill. Lesser craftsmen will break the fibre. Normally men do the warping and brushing work, and
women weave.
7 New Luxury: Half Handmade Xia Bu
Most traditional made Xia Bu fabrics are used for window or door curtains and
rough bed sheets, just like what they did in Japan and Korea. Since ramie fibres
along Chang Jiang River have much higher textile counts, by combining traditional
hand making and modern machines fibre spinning, half handmade Xia Bu is born:
they are not just soft enough to be used for comforter and clothing, but also they
are much more silky in appearance: With new technologies, part of the handwork
is replaced with machines. Therefore, we can use de-gummed and much fine ramie
yarns to make very fine Xia Bu. The semi-handmade Xia Bu can be very thin and
light with half cost. This semi-handmade Xia Bu looks good and has good potential
for the sustainable luxury future.
Y. Luo
Photo 9 Rice milk brushing during yarn making for Xia Bu
Weaving is divided into four steps: brushing, mounting on machine, adding rice
milk and weaving. Weaving high-quality Xia Bu requires special skill. Lesser craftsmen will break the fibre. Normally men do the warping and brushing work, and
women weave.
7 New Luxury: Half Handmade Xia Bu
Most traditional made Xia Bu fabrics are used for window or door curtains and
rough bed sheets, just like what they did in Japan and Korea. Since ramie fibres
along Chang Jiang River have much higher textile counts, by combining traditional
hand making and modern machines fibre spinning, half handmade Xia Bu is born:
they are not just soft enough to be used for comforter and clothing, but also they
are much more silky in appearance: With new technologies, part of the handwork
is replaced with machines. Therefore, we can use de-gummed and much fine ramie
yarns to make very fine Xia Bu. The semi-handmade Xia Bu can be very thin and
light with half cost. This semi-handmade Xia Bu looks good and has good potential
for the sustainable luxury future.