Pha Nok Kok village, northern Thailand.
I recently visited Pha Nok Kok village, a traditional Hmong village, north of Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was with a group of textile enthusiasts from Chiang Mai, among other places, to witness a demonstration of traditional Hmong hemp fabric production, from the stripping of the fiber from the stalks, to the weaving of the finished product.
Much has already been written about this wonderful product, by dedicated people who know a lot more about it than I ever will. So instead of writing too much about it, I would rather just show you some photos, and put some good links in my "links" module.
If you are interested in purchasing any hemp products, please visit our "Lanna Charm" website, where we have a range of hemp fabric, both handpainted and natural, handbags and bedding.
(The first 3 images were taken in a village further north from Ban Pha Nok Kok, near Chiang Dow.)
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Following images are Pha Nok Kok village.
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We have just released a new addition to our ever growing range of handcrafted fashion accessories, from northern Thailand.
This pretty little "mini-handbag" comes from Chiang Mai, is handmade from split bamboo, and is both unusual and attractive. It has a triangular shape which allows it to stand alone, and can be folded flat (collapsed) when not in use. The Chiang Mai "Bamboo" Mini-Handbag is lined with cotton fabric with inside pocket, has a handy loop and button closer, and comes in a wide range of patterns and colors. There are 2 sizes, the larger one is 12.5 " long, 4.5" wide, and is 6" tall, not including the wooden handles. The smaller size is 9" long, 4.5" wide, and is 5" tall, not including the wooden handles. The smaller size bag is also available with longer, woven straw handles. Both bags are available on both a retail, and a wholesale basis, and can be seen in the Bags section of our Lanna Charm website.
Handcrafted Handbags
How we create our products
We are often asked about how we create our bags, our design and production methods. So here it is in a nutshell.We begin with an idea, or use an existing design, and add our own touch to it. When the design is worked out, we then talk to the people who make our bags, a local family who work in their home. The type of material is decided, then the dimensions of the material needed. This step is very important, because some bags can only be made from certain fabrics, or they just don't look right. We have a wide range of materials to choose from, all hand-woven of course, like cotton, silk, hemp and "batik" cotton. Most of the cotton we use comes from a small village outside Chiang Rai. The lady we deal with there has her own shop, where she sells beautiful cotton scarves which she weaves in the shop, when there are no customers to serve. We usually give her orders bigger than she can handle, so she farms it out to other ladies in the village. That is why all our bags are individual, because the fabric is hand-woven by many different people, and each piece bears the character, mood and style of the particular weaver.
Once the "scarves" are woven, they are hand-made into beautiful bags. We call the cotton "scarves", but in reality they are simply long, narrow pieces of fabric. The portable looms they use are perfect for making smaller items like these, but can only make pieces up to about 2 meters, enough for 2 bags.
To see our entire range of beautiful handwoven, handcrafted fashion accessories, please visit our "Lanna Charm" website, at www.lannacharm.com
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davidlano
Great lens Mickmac! 5 Star! I found this awesome hemp site called 3vine. http://3vine.com Enjoy! :) Posted October 26, 2007 |
LannaCharm.com
Handcrafted Silk, Cotton, Straw and Hemp Fashion Accessories
We specialize in hand woven silk, cotton and hemp fashion accessories and home decor products. Our hand crafted range includes handbags, shoulder bags, purses, scarves, wraps and shawls, wall hangings, tablecloths and runners, curtains and bedding. All of our products are hand made from genuine, hand woven, naturally colored fibers, by local artisans in northern Thailand.We also source handwoven fibers from other Asian countries such as Laos and Myanmar.
All the prices shown on our website, "Lanna Charm", are retail prices, but we also cater for the wholesale buyer, providing they purchase a sizable order.
Our Favorite Links
Great Websites, Great Products,
- Lanna Charm
- "Lanna Charm" creates beautiful hand crafted handbags, shoulder bags, tote bags, purses, scarves and shawls using hand-woven silk, cotton and hemp fabrics. We cater for the wholesale, and retail market.
- KimTdesigns
- Individuality reigns supreme in this store, as most ready made hangings will not be reproduced due to the UNIQUENESS of the fabrics i have purchased. All Items listed with 'LIMITED EDITION' in the heading are made once only and will not be available again. This way you know that you are purchasing a piece that is not massed produced and seen elsewhere. INDIVIDUALIZE YOUR TASTE.
- Altered Statement
- Very interesting and informative hemp website, which itself has some good links.
- Henrietta's Handbags
- One of the best "handbags" websites on the net. Well worth a visit !
