19th August, 2012.
Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so receives many tourists to see the well-preserved buildings of this ancient trading port.
Taking advantage of the tourists who are here already, other tourist-related industries have sprung up, particularly tailoring and shoe making.
I bought two pairs of shoes – could have had them individually made for me and delivered to my hotel, but the ones in the shop fitted – for $25 each.
Dorothy had a silk suit made at this shop, for her grandson’s forthcoming wedding. It turned out very well.
The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colours.
Shoes tossed aside, the workers sort through mulberry leaves for the silkworms.
Silkworms enjoying their “last meal.”
Silk cocoons.
Our factory guide showed us how the silk could be unwound from the cocoon.
Looking at her dainty little hand, I wondered if she had received traditional Apsara dance training.
Now for the yucky bit. The pupae are killed by dipping them into boiling water, to allow the whole cocoon to be unravelled as one continuous thread, permitting a much stronger cloth to be woven from the silk.
I have read that once the pupae are removed from their cocoons, they are baked and eaten tasting somewhat like “over-roasted pistachios”.
The thread is then dyed and woven into cloth.
These ladies were working on some beautiful silk hand embroidery.
There was also a section where the beautiful fabrics were on display, and you could also be measured up to have garments tailored. It was here that Dorothy selected fabric and style, and was measured up for her suit.
Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so receives many tourists to see the well-preserved buildings of this ancient trading port.
Taking advantage of the tourists who are here already, other tourist-related industries have sprung up, particularly tailoring and shoe making.
I bought two pairs of shoes – could have had them individually made for me and delivered to my hotel, but the ones in the shop fitted – for $25 each.
Dorothy had a silk suit made at this shop, for her grandson’s forthcoming wedding. It turned out very well.
The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colours.
Shoes tossed aside, the workers sort through mulberry leaves for the silkworms.
Silkworms enjoying their “last meal.”
Silk cocoons.
Our factory guide showed us how the silk could be unwound from the cocoon.
Looking at her dainty little hand, I wondered if she had received traditional Apsara dance training.
Now for the yucky bit. The pupae are killed by dipping them into boiling water, to allow the whole cocoon to be unravelled as one continuous thread, permitting a much stronger cloth to be woven from the silk.
I have read that once the pupae are removed from their cocoons, they are baked and eaten tasting somewhat like “over-roasted pistachios”.
The thread is then dyed and woven into cloth.
These ladies were working on some beautiful silk hand embroidery.
There was also a section where the beautiful fabrics were on display, and you could also be measured up to have garments tailored. It was here that Dorothy selected fabric and style, and was measured up for her suit.
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