🌿 Cotton and the Handloom Weaving Process
Understanding How Cotton Cloth Is Made on Indian Handlooms – Presented by Artisan Touch
Cotton handloom fabric is often described as breathable, natural, and comfortable. But these qualities don’t come from the fibre alone. They emerge from a long, interconnected craft process—from how cotton is prepared, to how yarn is spun, dyed, strengthened, and finally woven on a loom without electricity.
At Artisan Touch, we aim to showcase and preserve this complete journey—connecting artisans to buyers while highlighting the true value behind every handcrafted fabric.
🌾 Cotton as a Fibre
Cotton has been one of the most widely used natural fibres in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. Traditionally, India cultivated over 500 indigenous varieties of cotton, most suited to hand spinning.
Today, fewer than 20 varieties dominate commercial farming, increasing yield but also raising environmental concerns. Fibre length (staple length) is crucial—longer fibres produce finer yarns, while shorter ones create coarser textures.
🧵 Preparing Cotton for Yarn
Before cotton becomes yarn, it goes through three stages:
1. Ginning – separating fibres from seeds
2. Carding – cleaning and aligning fibres
3. Sliver Formation – creating a soft, rope-like bundle for spinning
🪢 Yarn: Counts, Hanks, and Cones
Yarn thickness is measured in counts—higher count means finer yarn.
1 hank = 840 yards
Handlooms mostly use hank yarn
Mills use cone yarn
🌀 Spinning: Fibre to Yarn
Hand Spinning:
Done manually, allows control and uniqueness. Used in khadi and fine textiles.
Mill Spinning:
Machine-based, faster and more consistent. Widely used today for affordability.
🎨 Dyeing Process
Cotton can be dyed at different stages:
Yarn dyeing
Fabric dyeing
Garment dyeing
Chemical Dyeing:
Includes reactive, vat, and sulphur dyes—efficient and widely used.
Natural Dyeing:
Uses natural sources like:
Indigo
Madder
Cutch
Indigo is special—it turns blue only after exposure to air.
🧶 Bobbin Winding
Yarn is wound onto bobbins using a charka.
Around 20 bobbins are needed to weave ~5 sarees.
📏 Warping
Arranging yarn lengthwise to define fabric size.
A single fabric may use thousands of threads.
🌿 Street Sizing
Warp threads are coated with natural starch (rice, wheat, etc.) to strengthen them.
This is done in open spaces—hence the name street sizing.
🧵 Loom Preparation
Threads are passed through:
Heddles (control lifting of threads)
Reeds (maintain spacing and density)
Patterns can be created using dobby or jacquard systems.
🪡 Weft Winding
Weft yarn is wound onto a pirn and inserted into the shuttle.
Color changes create unique visual effects.
🧵 Weaving on Handloom
Weaving is done manually using hand and foot coordination.
Production: 0.5 to 5 meters per day, depending on complexity.
🪑 Types of Looms
Pit Loom
Frame Loom
Stand Loom
Pit looms are preferred for better fabric softness.
🎯 Dobby (Petu) Technique
Used for creating repeated patterns, especially borders, automatically.
🌟 What This Means for Fabric
The handloom process defines fabric qualities:
🌬️ Breathability → due to low tension
🧶 Texture → due to natural yarn variation
💪 Strength → from proper sizing
🎨 Uniqueness → from human craftsmanship
🌍 Artisan Touch Perspective
At Artisan Touch, we don’t just sell fabric—we tell the story behind it.
Every thread represents skill, tradition, and human effort. By bringing these products to a digital platform, we ensure artisans get fair value and customers understand the true beauty of handmade textiles.
From fibre to fabric, every step matters—and every artisan deserves recognition.