How is Khadi Made

How is Khadi Made Ever wonder what actually is Khadi ? How is the Khadi fabric made ? How it stands apart from other fabrics ? Read on and you shall be enlightened. Khadi (a.k.a. Khaddar) is a native fabric of India. It also has a long history in parts of Bangladesh (known there as Khadi Muslin) and in some parts of Pakistan. Khadi is mainly woven in cotton, but it can also be woven in silk and wool depending on the native climate of the region, and can be blended with mix of any fibers to give it more versatile look. Khadi is cool, comfortable and truly environment friendly fabric suitable for all types of seasons. It provides cool in Summers (as it's very soft and mild on skin) and warmth in Winters (as the fabric is dense, being hand-made). The fabric got its importance from Mahatma Gandhi when he revived the 5000 year old process of hand weaving as part of his movement of freedom fight in 1920's. KHADI Making Process .... 8 STEPS: FROM COTON TO KHADI 1. FARMING Cotton balls are handpicked from the fields. 2. CLEANING Separation of fibers from cotton seeds is done by hand using a sharp comb like object, also known locally as fish jaws. This helps to achieve superfine finish of the fabric. 3. CARDING Through a process called 'Carding' the final traces of trash from fibers are removed completely and the carded material is then collected as 'Slivers'. 4. SPINΝING The Slivers are then spun into yarn on a spinning wheel (a.k.a. Charkha) where they are thinned out and twisted at the same time to strengthen it. 5. REELING The spun yarns are then wounded into reels making it easy to transport to the weavers. 6. WEAVING The reels are then hand woven into fabric by skilled artisans. 7. DYEING The fabric made is sent to skilled labourers for deying, done with organic vegetable dyes to avoid as much use of chemicals as possible, keeping the process natural and pollution free throughout. 8. FINISH The finish fabric is now ready to be sold (by Govt. registered Khadi Distributors only) or made into garments by retailers and designers. "If we have the 'Khadi spirit' in us, we would surround ourselves with simplicity in every walk of life." Mahatma Gandhi Khadi over the decades has moved from a freedom fighter's identity fabric to a fashion garment. From the desi-jholawala writer/artist and every other politician to a good-for-all eco-fabric and even Bridal wear. Yes, that's true. There is no limit to what designers today are experimenting with Khadi and they even believe that IL Khadi is India's answer to Egyptian cotton and linen. .. From Gandhi to Haute Couture - Mahatma Gandhi ~ "I believe that where there is pure and active love for the poor there is God also. I see God in every thread that I draw on the spinning wheel." From the days of Gandhi, who revived Khadi around a century ago, to the Designers and Businessmen of today, who do not just see the Khadi fabric as being merely eco-friendly but luxurious - but defining it as haute couture'. Here is what some prominent fashion designers have to say - - Designer Wendell Rodricks ~ "Wearing Khadi is not just about being fashionable and trendy; it is about having a conscience and living that belief. As long as people are conscious about the environment, Khadi will always have a market and price won't be a factor." ~ Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee ~ The prominent Couturier embellishes it with gara embroidery, zardozi borders and mixes and matches it with Banarasi weaves and even creates Bridal wear, to push it up the aspirational chart. ~ Designer Rahul Mihra - ( Created a Khadi exclusive Spring-Summer 2013 collection ) "We must ensure that a part of the revenue from Khadi is diverted to weavers to keep its Gandhian logic alive. So the percentage use of Khadi in designer collections must drastically increase." - Rita Kapur Chishti ~ (a prominent Textile Historian ) “Khadi is the only instance of ec0-viable, sustainable, and luxury fabric in the world." - Busineswoman - Maithili Ahluwalia - ( Owner at Bungalow-8, an Iconic Mumbai based Luxury Store ) "At our store, handlooms and handcrafted fabrics have moved up the value chain from an almost fuddy-duddy Gandhian connota- tion to a must-have luxury. Designers have prompted this shift by demonstrating the many faces of Khadi, marrying the local with the global." .. Few words of Wisdom • Khadi has the unique property of keeping the wearer warm in winter as well as cool in summer. The more you wash it, the better it looks and feels. • It is the only fabric where the play of texture is so unique that no two fabrics will be absolutely identical, thus lending its exclusivity and inimitability in terms of feel and texture. Production of Khadi provides employment to thousands of rural skilled artisans, 70% of which are women. Khadi is approx. 3.24 times energy efficient than mill cloth. Khadi is more than fabric; it is a way of life. It stands for independence and for going back to basics. Hope this graphic will enlighten you about the pride in Heritage, the value-for-money, the feel-good and clean conscience that comes along with a piece of Khadi garment in your hand. Content Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh%C4%81d%C4%AB http://www.stayorg.com/fabrics/khadi.html http://www.sustainuance.com/from-sovereignty-to-sustainability/ http://forbesindia.com/printcontent/27772 http://www.houseofkhadi.com/what-is-khadi/ http://www.moralfibre-fabrics.com/press.asp PS Infographic by : http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/HG4vnOBe950aKVYxOTOx6J/Tre nd-Tracker--Fashion-fabric-of-the-future.html http://www.lifestylebyps.com %24