#threadsoflifebali

threadsoflifebali

Traditional weavers often live in villages too remote to enjoy the benefits of mainstream economic development. Many earn less than 50 cents a day, or migrate in search of work. Government services and social safety nets do not reach the neediest communities. Instead, villagers depend on traditional communal systems, reinforced in part by the use of traditional textiles. The support of Threads of Life can turn this poverty trap on its head. As incomes rise above the $2-a-day poverty line, young women choose to remain in the village and weave, rather than leave in search of work. As the community prospers, pride in local traditions swells and the communal support system grows stronger.⁠

threadsoflifebali

On the loom in Bali. ⁠

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📷

@awonoyoh

threadsoflifebali

Indonesian weavers are famous for a tie-dye technique called ikat, meaning ’’to tie a knot.’’ The weaver stretches her warp or weft on a wooden frame and ties strands of palm leaf or plastic raffia around small bundles of threads. After hours of tying, the bindings begin to form patterns: stylized plants and animals, motifs declaring clan and status, pictures and words that illustrate ancient myths and recent events.⁠