dhamdhama handloom cluster - design clinic schemedesignclinicsmsme.org/design awareness programme...

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster

Interactive Design Study

Cluster Level Report DCS MSME Scheme

Band Five 2011

Submitted by : Irin Bismitar

ASSAM

• Assam is a northeastern state of

India. Its capital is Dispur. Assam

comprises of

the Brahmaputra and

the Barak river valleys along with

the Karbi Anglong and the North

Cachar Hills and Bodoland

territorial council. Assam is

surrounded by six of the

other Seven Sister States

Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,

Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. The northeast India is

connected with the rest of the country through a narrow strip in West

Bengal called the Siliguri.

HOW TO REACH ASSAM

• Assam, the gateway to the northeast is well connected with the rest of

India by air, rail and road. The Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International

Airport at Guwahati is 18 km from the city centre and is well connected to

most of the metros in the country. There are regular flights to Guwahati

running all year long on daily basis.All the major carriers of the country

like Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Red, Spice Jet, Go Air Business,

JetLite and IndiGo airlines connect Guwahati to most of the major cities

of India.Druk Air also operates an international weekly flight between

Bangkok and Guwahati. Most of the carriers also operate flights

connecting the other towns of Assam like Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tezpur,

North Lakhimpur and Silchar to Guwahati and to the other major cities in

India.

• By train Assam has a convenient railway network connecting the state to

the rest of the country. There are train services from Kolkata, New Delhi,

Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum. B.G. line

connection is up to Dibrugarh and M.G. line with Haflong and Silchar.

• By road the network of National Highways and other roads connect

Guwahati with all the important places of Assam and India. It is the

connector city of NH - 31, 37 and 40 with the other cities of India by

road.

DEMOGRAPHICS

POPULATION: 26,656,000 • Total population of Assam was 26.66 million with 4.91 million

households in 2001. Higher population concentration was recorded in

the districts of Kamrup, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Dhubri, Darang and

Cachar. Assam's population was estimated at 28.67 million in 2006 and

at 30.57 million by 2011, 34.18 million by 2021 and 35.60 million by

2026.

• Religions

• According to the 2001 census, there are 17,296,455 Hindus,

8,240,611 Muslims, 986,589 Christians, 22,519 Sikhs, 51,029 Buddhists,

23,957 Jains and 22,999 belonging to other religious communities. The

latter includes Animism (Khami, Phake ,Aiton etc. communities).

LANGUAGES

• Assamese and Bodo are the major indigenous and official languages

while Bengali holds official status in the three districts in the Barak

Valley and is the second most widely spoken language of the state (27%).

FESTIVALS

• Bihu is one of the major festival of Assam.

• Apart from bihu, durga puja is also celebrated

by people of Assam

About Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster

• There are four villages under dhamdhama handloom cluster name

as Shantipur, Angardhowa, Uttar Barshiral and Mohina.

• Shantipur, Angardhowa and Uttar Barshiral comes under newly

formed Baksa dist.

• Mohina comes under Nalbari dist.

About Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster

• According to tradition , the skill to weave was the primary qualification of a

young girl.

• In Dhamdhama handloom cluster different attachments are used for

designs involving extra thread. For extra warp design , dobby or jacquard

looms are used. The use of dobby looms has limited scopes due to its short

range of control on thread in a repeat. In the case of jacquard, there is

wider scope since a large number of threads can be controlled in a repeat

depending upon the size of machine. The use of extra warp provides the

opportunities to weave elaborate designs conveniently. For extra weft

designing, a drawboy attachment is used since this is best suited to

handloom. Extra weft is used for designing cross border and spat figures

and for space designing. In extra weft designs, different type of colored

yarns can be managed for different portions using just one additional pick.

Weaving among the tribal societies of Assam is a home craft using the back

strap loin loom. Simple and portable, an unlimited range of designs can be

produced on these looms.

• MOTIFS- The designs and motifs of assamese fabrics are inspired from

nature, and from familiar objects that surrounds them, though the

traditional motifs from the past are strictly geometrical.

Design Sensitization Seminar at Dhamdhama handloom Cluster

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster, Village: Shantipur, Dist: Baksa

Unit One

• Name:Jagatara Das

• Age: Forty (40)years

• Sex:Female

• Weaving since: Eight ( 8) years

• No. of Looms: 1

• Type of loom: Dobby loom

• Products: Traditional towel

(gamucha) and Running fabric.

Unit Two

• Name: Renu Das

• Age: Thirty Three (33) years

• Sex:Female

• Weaving since: Ten (10) years

• No. of looms: 1

• Type of loom: Dobby

• Products: Traditional Towel (gamucha) and meter fabric (only for house hold

purpose.)

Unit Three

• Name: Damayanti Das

• Age: Forty Two(42)years

• Sex: Female


• No. of Looms: 1

• Type of loom: Dobby • Products: Traditional Towels

Unit Four

• Name: Manada Baishya

• Age: Forty(40)years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving since: Fifteen (15) years

• No. of looms: 3

• Type: Jacquard

• Products: Traditional Assames

attire and Traditional towel.

Unit Five • Name: Ranju Deka

• Age: Thirty four (34) years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving Since: Eight (8) years

• No. of looms: 1

• Type of looms: Dobby

• Products: Running fabric (for house hold

purpose) and traditional towel.

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster ,Village:Angardhowa, Dist.Baska

Unit six

• Name: illa Baishya

• Age: Thirty seven (37) years

• Sex:Female

• Weaving since: Eleven (11) years

• No. of looms: 1


• Products: Traditional attire and

Traditional towels

Unit seven

• Name: Anupama Baishya

• Age: Forty(40) years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving Since: Twelve (12)years

• No. of looms: 1

• Type of looms: dobby

• Products: Running fabric and

traditional towels (gamucha)

Unit Eight

• Name: Hiran Baishya

• Age: Forty (40) years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving since: Five (5) years

• No. of looms:1



traditional towels

Unit Nine

• Name:Namita Baishya

• Age: Twenty two (22) years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving since: Three (3) years

• No. of looms: 3

• Type of looms: Jacquard and dobby

Unit Ten

• Name: Bimla Baishya

• Age: Twenty three (23) years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving Since: Five (5) years

• No. of looms:1



traditional towels

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster, Village: Uttar Barshiral, Dist: Baksa

Unit Eleven • Name: Kanaklata Nath

• Age: Forty five (45) years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving Since: Twelve (12)

years

• No. of looms: 1

• Type of looms: Jacquard

• Products: Running fabric (for

house hold purpose) and

traditional attire

Unit Twelve

• Name: Basistha Nath

• Age: Thirty eight(38)years

• Sex: Male

• Weaving Since: Twelve (12) years

• No. of looms: 6

• Types of looms: Jacquard


traditional towels (gamucha).

Unit Thirteen

• Name: Digamber Nath

• Age: Forty (40) years

• Sex: Male

• Weaving Since: Twelve (12) years

• No. of looms: 3

• Types of looms: Jacquards

• Products: Traditional Towels and

traditional attire

• Name: Dipa Nath

• Age: Twenty eight (28) years

• Sex: Female


• No. of looms: 1

• Types of looms: Jacquard

• Products: Traditional towels

• Name: Ratul Nath

• Age: Forty (40)years

• Sex: Male

• Weaving Since: Ten(10)years

• No. of looms:2


• Products: Traditional towel (gamocha) and

running fabric

Unit Fourteen

Unit Fifteen

Products: Traditional towel (gamocha) and

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster, Village: Mohina, Dist: Nalbari, Assam

Unit Sixteen

• Name: Babita Kalita

• Age: Thirty two (32)years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving Since: Six years

• No. of looms: 1


• Products: Traditional towels

and running fabric

Unit Seventeen

• Name: Arpana Kalita

• Age: Thirty five (35)years

• Sex: Female

• Weaving Since: Ten (10) years

• No. of looms: 2


• • Products: Traditional

Unit Type

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster. Weaving in Process

• Weaving in Assam is replete with artistic sensibility and so intimately

linked to folk life that Gandhi ji, during his famous visit to Assam to

promote Khadi and Swadeshi, was so moved that he remarked , “

Assamese women weaves fairy tales in their cloths.”

Raw Materials

• Muga Silk

• Eri Silk

• Pat Silk

• Cotton yarns

• Tusser Silk

• And other yarns which are blend

of the above mention yarns

Tools & equipments

• Beaters and combs

• Bobbin winders

• Boat shuttles and bobbins

• Card weaving cards

• Pick up Sticks

• Reeds

• Warping boards or drums

Tools & Equipments

Boat Shuttler Spinning Wheel

Bobbin Winders Bobbin Winders

Pickup Sticks Reeds

Type of Products

• Traditional Attire; The mekhala-chadar. The mekhala is a woven skirt usually

plain but sometime strewn with small motifs called buta.Some time other

motifs include a diya stand,a fan, traditional hat (the japi) are used.

• The chadar and the riha are apparel for covering the upper part of a woman

body and is usually decorated with spray of flowers and geometrical patterns.

• Traditional towel; The Gamocha is a traditional piece of woven cloth that has

multiple use. Made of cotton and silk, it is used as a towel. Gamocha are

adorned with a wide range of motifs, both floral and geometrical.

• Running fabrics are made for house hold purpose They can be of different use

such as for bedsheets,curtains and dhoti for men.

Assamese bride wearing traditional attire

Design

Design Audit Report

Audit Report

(a) Description and scope for existing products, redesign, new product development and product diversification

· ISSUES AND CONCERNS:

· The available products mainly consist of traditional Assamese attire which

includes chadar mekhala and traditional towel called gamucha.

· Designs are replica of what is already available in the market or given to them

by the traders. There is lack of innovation

· The products are hardly made of pure muga silk or pat silk or eri or high twisted

cotton yarn as the weavers can’t afford it.

· Because of the above said reasons, the existing products are of low quality

which are made of blend of low twisted cotton yarn and pat silk, tusser yarn

with pat silk, muga silk with pat silk.

• The designs does not reflect the current trend as most of the non-traditional

attire are made by the artisans whose designs are inspired from environment

and day to day life activity.

• The existing products are either blend of silk or of cotton blend.

• Because of the high cost and lack of innovation in design most of the existing

traditional attires have become out dated which people use occasionally during

marriages and festivals.

• There is a definite need to give a fine touch during finishing, proper tools and

techniques need to be provided to the weaver so that the products are

accepted. In the current scenario the finishing touch is not up to the mark, and

therefore the quality and price vary as per the requirements of the traders.

• There is no product diversification.

• The latest trend in market or color forecast or yarn quality is hardly considered

while designing products.

• During rainy season the looms are folded and kept aside as most of the weavers

don’t have any proper shade facility.

• There is major problem of electricity due to which they can’t work after sun set.

• As commercialism is yet to take a ground, there is no fix working hours.

Household chores and mood swings hamper the working hours therefore the

product. Women work for 2-6 hours depending on their mood.

• Some of the raw materials are not of good quality. Weavers are completely

dependent on the traders, who in turn are just worried about making profits

rather than looking after weavers’ welfare and product quality.

OPPORTUNITIES

• There is ample scope for redesigning the products.

• The existing traditional products can be made more contemporary and relevant

and according to the latest trend.

• The elements from the existing traditional attire can be used for new attire

development and diversification.

• New motifs inspired by local textiles and heritage can be developed.

• Vibrant color variation can be introduced.

• Conditions of the looms are not up to the mark as most of the weavers are still

using old fashioned looms which are made of very low quality wood and are of

poor finish. both the quality and quantity of the product gets affected

• People in the urban centers try to connect to their roots via traditional products.

Keeping that in mind the elements from existing traditional products can be used

to introduce lifestyle products such as bed sheets, pillow covers, cushion covers,

table mats, floor mats for modern and contemporary homes.

• Weavers can be provided with transparent plastic shades. Arrangements should

be made to hang them so that the weavers can protect their loom from getting

wet during the rainy days. Therefore number of working hours will be enhanced

significantly.

• Using the contemporary motifs will give the product a local identity and therefore

people can connect.

(b) Scope for research and development direction for future initiatives

• ISSUES AND CONCERNS:

• Most of the weavers do not have enough funds, time and expertise to carry out

research and development on a regular basis.

• Most of the looms that are used traditionally are outdated; also the weavers

don’t have resources to introduce new technology. Neither the government nor

the traders are providing them the latest technology

• The quality of products is compromised due to lack of commercialism. Weavers

don’t get delivery of raw materials on time. Also the lack of proper loom comes in

the way of delivering products on time. Better looms and transport facility would

be a boon in facilitating and increasing speed of work without compromising on

quality.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Improvisation in loom technology through R&D activities.

• A Common Facility Centre (CFC) can be set up with modern technology.

• Marketing: Research in terms of consumer trends, market trends and

competition in the local and international market.

• Exchange of technology ideas can be initiated through workshops and other idea

exchange programmes.

(c) Existing status and opportunity for visual identity, branding and communication design

• ISSUES AND CONCERNS

• In the present scenario there is no visual identity for the clusters as there is a

middleman, lack of direct communication between the producers and the

consumers need to be addressed. Efforts need to be made so that these clusters

come in direct contact with the end consumers. The relation would be of mutual

benefit to both i.e. buyers as well as the sellers.

• There is no proper documentation/ /brochure/ catalogue of traditional and

non-traditional attire made in Assam. A track record need to be maintained so

that the popular and non popular designs and products can be classified and

worked upon.

• Weavers need to be told about their products by means of pictures and other

documentation methods.

• It has been found that in the era of mass consumerism the traders and weavers

in the clusters are against branding; which in turn is hampering the growth.

OPPORTUNITIES

• The idea of having a common visual identity and branding for the cluster was

well accepted. However it was felt that it should go hand in hand with initiatives

like online selling by creating website, packaging design etc.

• Over all there is a big scope in developing visual identity for the cluster units,

branding and communication design to connect them to the market directly and

get them more exposure.

• A product catalogue is a must and also presence of products online will be of

great help in reaching out to high end consumers.

(d) Scope of technology, modernization and design collaborations


• The traditional looms used by most of the weavers are either outdated with no

real modern technology available to them.

• Due to electricity problem work timing are less than 8 hours because of which

they can’t take bulk order.

• Even in case of customize orders for high end products; products are made in

ordinary looms because of which quality is compromised.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Solar panels can be set up in each village to meet the electricity need. This will

help them work even after sunset.

• The weavers can be introduced to proper jacquard looms.

(e) Scope for operations and process innovation from design perspective


• Due to high cost of pure muga silk, pat silk and eri silk, weavers can’t afford to

invest in high end traditional attire.

• Traditional attire made out of cotton-silk blend limits scope of various innovation

as quality of the yarn provided to them is poor.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Industrially manufactured findings can be introduced. Findings such more

effective looms and other tools and techniques which enhances the products

can be used in the looms.

• Yarns can be bought in bulk which in turn which lead to saving much time that

can be used in enriching the quality of the product and increasing the quality.

(f) Design Opportunity in workstation and tooling design


• The work process is really slow due to low quality looms used by most of the

weavers.

The tools used are outdated and old that leads to slow and time consuming production process.

The work place is not appropriate, cluttered and not organized at all.

• They use old kerosene lamps at night if they

have to meet heavy orders because of which

they have to compromise on

product.

• Kerosene lamps prevent them from working

indoors especially during extreme weather

conditions.

• There is no proper lighting system for working

in night hours. • Due to lack of electricity in the cluster the

artisans work in the open.

• Lack of electricity reduces the working hours.

Working in candle light/kerosene lamp can be

painful for the eyes.

• While working in the open space dirt gets

deposited on the fabric because of which it

losses its natural luster.

• Sometime they sit on the floor and work with improper working benches.

• The tools are kept with no proper arrangement or storage.

They use old kerosene lamps at night if they

have to meet heavy orders because of which

they have to compromise on the quality of

Kerosene lamps prevent them from working

indoors especially during extreme weather

There is no proper lighting system for working

Due to lack of electricity in the cluster the

Lack of electricity reduces the working hours.

Working in candle light/kerosene lamp can be

While working in the open space dirt gets

deposited on the fabric because of which it

time they sit on the floor and work with improper working benches.

The tools are kept with no proper arrangement or storage.

time they sit on the floor and work with improper working benches.

OPPORTUNITIES

• The new looms for weaving, drums for

spinning, etc. can be introduced at common

facilitation centre.

• Organized work stations at CFC.

• Solar lights/panels can be introduced so that

they could work in the evening hours.

(g) Details of market and competition study for design advantage and distinction


• Decrease in profit margins due to exploitation by the traders and increase in the

cost of raw materials such as muga silk, eri silk, cotton, etc.

• Customers/ Traders are not ready to pay higher prices for the products.

• Fear of introduction of power looms might lead to lose of handmade nature of the

products.

• There is a serious competition from West Bengal and Karnataka made traditional

attire (chadar mekhala) and traditional towels (gamucha).

• Also power loom made traditional attire and traditional towels are available in the

market at a much lower price.

• Non-traditional attire which are copied are easily available in the market at much

lower price, giving the retailers a greater profit margin.

• These products are bought from West Bengal and Karnataka. • No exposure to the market and interaction, as middlemen/ traders buy products

from the artisans and sell it in the local market of guwahati, shivhagarh and other

towns of Assam.

• As there is no interaction with the market, the artisans rarely have any direct

consumer feedback.

• The artisans don’t store sample pieces

generally, so when a customer directly visit

them there is not enough products to show

them.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Product diversification using modern techniques and motifs will give them

distinctive advantage as these designs will not be manufactured elsewhere.

• They can introduce new looms which could give them a bigger market share and

make up the lost market as their production capacity will increase.

• They could reach out to larger markets such as Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai

and other metro city with new product developments where there are lots of

Assamese people lives.

• They could directly sell products to the consumers through stores at different

Assam bhavans in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune etc.

(h) Study for the need of training and skill up-gradation • ISSUES AND CONCERNS

• Some skilled craftsman leave but very few workers are trained regularly and

enrolled to keep the pace of work smoothly.

• Others, semi skilled craftsmen keep changing for better pays, so dearth of

craftsmen is sometimes an issue.

• No new/ advance training for the artisans except a very few (entrepreneurship

skill development programme) ESDP

• Due to lack of exposure artisans have been practicing same processes for many

years.

OPPORTUNITIES • Master artisans could be sent to participate

at National level workshops and training

programme.

• A common training center which could

provide training on skill enhancement,

quality control and product development to

the weavers of Dhamdhama handloom

cluster.

OPPORTUNITIES

be sent to participate

at National level workshops and training

A common training center which could

provide training on skill enhancement,

quality control and product development to

the weavers of Dhamdhama handloom

(I) Ergonomic and environment factors in MSME premise

(j) Packaging and logistics related design opportunities • ISSUES AND CONCERNS

• There is no real concept of packaging at the cluster level.

• Products are kept either in a box or wrapped in a paper.

• Traders after buying the products from the weavers who package them in

paper.

• The paper purchased from Guwahati/Nalbari/Dhamdhama by local traders is of

very low quality

• The wedding/ bridal traditional attire which are mostly in demand are also not

packaged properly which leads to breakage and wear and tear and which in turn

leads to dissatisfaction among the consumers.

OPPORTUNITIES • New packaging design can be introduced such as

drawstring bags or eco-friendly paper bags.

• These bags will give a visual and unique identity to

the products made in Dhamdhama handloom

clusters. The bags can have some symbol or logo

that typically represents the place.

• New and cost effective form of packaging need to

be introduced.

• If packaging is improved, it would create a good presence and will boost the

business and help in competing.

• Proper packaging of products need to be done to avoid fading of color and attack

of moths.

(k) Exhibition/ Display design opportunities

OPPORTUNITIES • The artisans can participate in trade fairs at

local, state, national and international level.

• A small display area/showroom can be created

at cluster/ village level.

• Products can be displayed at art centers,

museums etc. in various cities.

(l) Study of infrastructure set up from design perspective


• There is no proper work shed for the artisans.

• No in-house display area for the products.

OPPORTUNITIES • A common work place for the artisans in each village or a Common faculty Centre

(CFC).

(m) Scope of design intervention for inter cluster communication

OPPORTUNITIES • A greater and better cooperation and understanding between the weavers and

the traders/middlemen.

• A Common Facilitation Centre will tremendously increase the scope of

communication between the four villages under Dhamdhama handloom cluster

and thus lead to sharing of knowledge and skills.

• A common place for procurement of raw material where weavers can buy

material on credit basis, as it’s not feasible for them to buy raw material at once.

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster Opportunities areas and Summery

Handloom weavers

Skill upgradation,

direct marketlinkage and

Scope for export

Product innovation,modification and

Packaging innovation

Branding and

Quality controlalong with CFC

Short Term Suggestion

• Design Innovation in Mekhala Chadar and Gamocha

• Transfer of design from graph to card

• Dyeing

• Technical upgradation of looms

Long Term Suggestion • Solar Penal

• CFC

CONCLUSION Each and Every day spent at Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster was a learning

experience giving insight into the lifestyle, design activities and working

condition of the weavers. The local artisans are very skill and hard working.

With proper planning and implementation of proper development activates

there is a hope for these artisans.

Development activities which should include skill upgradation, product

innovation and modification direct market linkage and scope for export.

There are many more scope of improvement and growth as already mentioned

in the Design Audit report.

Detail of cluster 4 villages of Dhamdhama Angardhowa, Shantipur, Uttar Barshiral and Mohina with number of units/population

involved in the making of handloom fabric.

Total Number of Units in four villages under dhamdhama handloom cluster name as Shantipur, Angardhowa, Uttar Barshiral and Mohina. : 100 units

Total Number visited of Units in four villages under dhamdhama handloom cluster name as Shantipur, Angardhowa, Uttar Barshiral and Mohina. : 17

One of the largest ‘Gamusa’ made by the cluster weavers.

System map of product making in Dhamdhama

RAW MATERIALS Muga silk, Eri silk, Pat silk, Cotton yarns, Tusser Silk, Blended yarns

FABRIC WEAVING Traditional Attire, mekhala chadar, Traditional Towel (Gamusa), Running fabrics

PRE LOOM PROCESSING Using different tools & equipments, treatment of yarn, manual processing, Drafting, Denting, Heald making

POST PROCESSING Quality check

PACKAGING Wrapped in a paper, Kept in a Box

STORAGE Stored in Box or Plastic or papers

DISTRIBUTION To Traders, NGO etc

WEAVERS

YARN FROM THE MARKET

LOCAL MELA

EXHIBITION

Tool and equipments

ISSUES: 1) The work process is really slow due to hand made tools & processes in the entire process of making garments. 2) The handloom accessories used are outdated and old, leads to slow and time consuming production process. 3) The weaving accessories are kept with no proper arrangement or storage, leads to damage of it. 4) Take-up and let-off is also time consuming process and it makes the fabric uneven in texture. 5) Old Traditional charka which is use for spinning is also a laborious process. 6) This process is usually carried out in the road-side using bamboo and comb. It become difficult to warp a huge quantity of yarn for them . At a time they can warp 40 to 50 meters but more than that it become difficult for them. The cluster does not have sewing machines 7)The weavers don’t have proper tool kit ( fabric cutting scissors, needles, thread (bobbins), pick glass, seam ripper

Boat Shuttler : Manually made and not properly

stored.

Pick up sticks : The selvedge of the garment becomes

untidy due to the pointed.

Manual Spinning Wheel : Old Traditional charka which is use for spinning is also a

laborious process.

Bobbin Winders : Very difficult to handle due to the

fact that the winding has to be done manually

OPPORTUNITIES: 1) Instead of using manual sinning wheel introduction of cycle spinning wheel 2) The Selvedge of the fabric can be make better by using iron temple. 3) Take up Motion - The automatic take-up and let-off motion can be attached in the fly shuttle frame loom of the village. This will increase the production and improve the texture of the fabric. As the take-up and let-off of the fabric will be a continue process so it will increase the evenness of the fabric. 4) A proper Equipment to hold and place the Bobbin Winders according to colour.

5) If hand embroidery is to be introduced proper tool kit is required 6) Training in sewing machine and embroidery machine is required for better finished products and which will give them an opportunity to explore and even try and develop new products 7) At least 4-5 sewing machines should be set up at each training centre

Bobbin Winders stacked together : No proper place to collect and keep the Bobbin Winders.

Reeds : The pointed reeds is one of the major

reasons behind the unfinished selvedge of the

garments made

Ergonomic related issues and opportunities

ISSUES and CONCERNS 1) Electricity is one concern for the weavers, who even if they want are not able to work after dark. 2) The shed heats up during summer because of asbestos ceiling. 3) The looms are either placed outside in veranda or placed inside. The rooms are small and tight just enough space for the looms to be setup inside. 4) Most of the looms are not properly placed, for example in the side picture the loom is not at a proper angle and the entire placement is very hap hazardous. 5) The process of design making in traditional way is so difficult and time consuming and weavers suffer so many eye-sight problems. 6) The weaver has to work only in sitting position but it is not comfortable way of sitting for long timing causes leg pain. OPPORTUNITIES 1) Developing environmentally friendly palm thatched shade structure or covering the entire asbestos roof with palm leaves. This will keep the room temperature lower than usual. 2) Solar lights can be introduced so that they can work in the evening also.

The shed is quiet dark due to which, it becomes very difficult for the weaver to concentrate on making the motifs and designs

Most of the Loom are placed in varendah.

The Top of the shed is covered with asbestos or tin or other materials like bamboo netted mat

The sitting position for the weavers is not proper so they feel back pains after they work long

periods in the looms.

Study of skills, knowledge, product design, product diversification and sustainability

ISSUES AND CONCERNS 1) The existing products mostly consist of traditional mekhla-chadar and gamosa. Apart from the traditional textiles the weavers also develop Traditional Riha(apparel for covering the upper part of a woman body),bedsheet, curtain, ‘DHOTI’ for traders. 2) The range of products developed is mostly copied from designs out sourced from other brands. Few designs for bedsheet were given by the master weavers or the clients. 3) The products are made out of mill spun cotton yarns (mostly counts of 2/60s &2/80s). They also use acrylic yarns available in the market. There is very less use of hand spun natural fibres like silk and cotton even though its easy availability. There are some weavers who are still using natural fibres for making textiles but only for their personal use. 4) The cotton yarns provided to the weavers or the one available in the local market is not of good quality. These yarns are chemically dyed and have low resistance to colour bleed. 5) There is no intricacy in traditional designs, all the motifs and designs have blown up in proportion and random new designs have replaced the traditional motifs. 6) The finishing of the products is not up to the mark. Loose salvage, edges are not properly finished, excess threads are not trimmed, even after quality checking.. 7) These weavers have used well there aesthetic sense while doing traditional textiles like mekhla and chaddar, but when it comes to new products there is no rhythm and harmony and design sensibility. 8) The knowledge about traditions got lost in translation, with the new generation not knowing the details and importance of motifs and designs used in Assamese textiles.

OPPORTUNITIES 1) Keeping the current trends in mind lots of new products can be redesigned and designed as well. 2) The traditional textile pieces can be transformed into more contemporary and relevant to current market requirement. 3) Introducing hand and machine embroidery, bead work for newer products 4)REUSE & RECYCLE : Creating awareness about the environment friendly products. Use of locally available recourses hay (from harvest), newspapers, plastic covers, leaves etc and developing products out of waste like carry bags, table mats, runner’s blinds curtains etc keeping in mind the essence of Assam. 5)Product Diversification like, Runners, stoles, shawls, sofa covers etc. 6) Encouraging use of natural fibres and natural dyes. 7) Skill and design development workshops can be conducted for the weavers which will help them understand and develop new product range as well as improve their design sensibility. 8) The elements from the existing traditional textile can be used for new product development and diversifications like: Upholstery materials like napkins, curtains, yardage, blinds, bedcovers etc, dress materials like duppattas and sarees etc 9) Developing various styles of finishing techniques: Variations of tassels, edges finishing, hemming, use of beads for tassels, use of embroidery for edge finishing, how to tag properly, and importance of a fine and neatly finished textile piece in market etc. 10) Proper use of natural fibres like silk and cotton can lead in contributing to national and global health, to larger sustainable practice and supporting our eco system.

Scope of training and skill up-gradation ISSUES and CONCERNS 1) There are very few skilled weavers, who know the technicalities of weaving, but most of them tend to leave because of low income. Irregularity in training programme, which leads to losing of knowledge attained during their training period. 2) Lose of interest amongst weavers due to lack of exposure. There are no advance training facility where weavers can try their hand in other textile related crafts like hand embroidery, sewing etc. 3) There is a poor access to information within the cluster. For instance, the visits of designers to the cluster, even those sponsored by the Government agencies are not properly known to the weaver, which results in a limited interface 4) There is no system in place through which the cluster can effectively make use of the BDS (Business Development Services) providers. Even though diverse BDS resources the present locally, they face several limitations in the absence of effective institutional framework and therefore do not have a well-defined presence.

OPPORTUNITIES 1) Regular design workshops once in a month which could provide training on skill enhancement, quality control, design diversification and product development to the weavers. 2) Monthly or once in a six month exposure visits of either master weavers, or a selected group of weavers. This would also develop their thinking, and help generate new ideas. 3) Training of master weaver, who herself/himself can conduct further training in surrounding areas, which will also enhance her communication skills but also help improve the quality of weaving amongst other weavers. 4) These self organised workshops should have weavers express their skills and knowledge apart from weaving, leading to sharing and development of new ideas 5) Institutional linkages & Capacity Building and as well as the local BDS also need more training and exposure.

Design opportunity in working area Common facility for training, skill development programmes, ISSUES 1) Weavers are not aware of the value and market rates of their products in outside market 2)Minimum interaction among the weavers group, which also effects the quality of product and technical issues for which they have to directly contact the technical head.

OPPORTUNITIES 1)Interactive sessions with the weavers and the management community 2)Sharing of ideas and problem solving sessions amongst each other which will also develop a strong bond between the weavers community without the intervention of a third party. 3) Developing sensitivity between work , family and how to manage time for better productivity 4) Interactive session of weaver’s interests and workshops once in a while for their knowledge and skill development 5) More group assignments which will help develop team work and management skills. 6) making them aware of brainstorming and conducting brainstorming sessions.

Common Facility Centre

STITCHING, FINISHING,

DYEING

TRAINING/ WORKSHOP

CENTRE

COTTON & SILK CULTIVATING

CENTRE

NGO support

Market: consumer research, branding and packaging

Market : Local showroom, melas

Research and development : Technical up gradation

Ergonomic Workstation and tool design

Process innovation

Weaving Community

National/ International market linkages

A PLAN OF THE COMMON FACILITY CENTRE

Skill development

programmes and

schemes

Yarn Supply

Opportunity for packaging and storage design ISSUES and CONCERNS 1) The textiles and other products produced in this cluster are not stored properly, where valuable silk and cotton pieces are getting damaged due to pests. 2) For packaging plastic bags are used. 3) They use plastic/ tissue bags as shopping bags 4) Products are mostly kept open with dust and cob webs accumulation OPPORTUNITIES 1) New cost effective ways of packaging could be used, shopping bags either made of cloth or made by recycled waste. 2) Value added benefits for the cluster by developing eco friendly packaging system. 3) With new packaging system the value of the product will also increase with at competitive price. 4) Redesigning the entire storage system, making it pest and moisture protective. 5) BOPP material must be used to pack the fabrics. As the fabrics are made up of natural fibres so they have the danger from getting contaminated from the outside air before it is finally worn by the customer. So the pack should have the property of moisture barrier. BOPP has got a great transparency property. Also regaring the manufacturing, it is quiet cost effective. And one can find these properties only in BOPP bags, hence it is highly recomended. 6) Inside the folds of sari or mekhala chadar brown paper or news paper can be given. This will maintain the stiffness of the fabric and also prevent it from wrinkles. 7) Proper Bar coding on the packaging.

Using Recycled material with a proper branding Sustainable Packaging Barcodee

Visual identity, branding, marketing and merchandizing of the products

ISSUES AND CONCERNS 1)The cluster does not have proper documentation and cataloguing system for various categories like traditional and contemporary products 2)There are no proper photographs of the products made by weavers. 3)Each product made for the market needs proper branding and marketing 4) No advertisement of the products which would give the outside world an idea of the products been made in the cluster.

OPPORTUNITIES 1)High level requirement to promote and sustain product categories for commercial activity 2)Year wise log books should be maintained with photographs and detailed specification of the products likes: the count of thread used, colour, reed count, weight, EPI, PPI etc for future reference during production on client or market order. 3)Good Product packaging shown as above is also required along with visual branding 4)Along with online portal, proper cataloguing is required for larger audience other than local market 5) Online websites and web-pages for better communication to the masses. 6) Silkmark. 7) LOGO for the products produced at Dhamdhama Cluster which would give them their own identity. 8) Proper advertisement of the products been produced. 9) A showroom outside the village(City) is required so that people can have access to the products of Dhamdhama.

CATALOGUE

On the Spot Remedial solutions provided to the Weavers

1) Packaging with proper logo of the unit or the group can be done. 2) To get artisan card from the DIC so that they can themselves participate in fairs and showcase their own designs. 3) Exhibitions at various Govt. supported venues can support the weavers to sell their products directly to the market . This will also help the weavers to understand the choice of the customers and also about the latest trend of design and colour of the fabric. 4) Diversified product such as stole, shawls, sari etc. should be made during different workshops heald at the cluster or even individually also. 5) Weavers can also try the national market, Craft bazaar, Dilli hut etc. to sell product. 6) The traditional look and feel of the fabric can be made more trendy for new markets by diversifying the product from Mekhela Chador and Gamosa to stole and furnishing fabric.

Designer Details : Irin Bismitar

DHAMDHAMA HANDLOOM CLUSTER

Dist. NALBARI ASSAM

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster Design Awareness Workshop Report

5 Band, from 23 -27th august 2012

Submitted by: Irin Bismitar

Schedule of 5 Band Design Workshop under DCS at Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster

Organised by IIE, Guwahati Day 1st Sessio

n (Time) Topics Designer/Guest

designer/Resource Person

2nd Session (Time)

Designer/Guest designer/Resour

ce Person

Topics

1st day (22/08/12)

10.30AM to 1.30PM

Inauguration of Workshop & introduction to 5 band workshop

Irin Bismitar, Empannelled Ministry of textiles

2.30PM to 4.30PM

Irin Bismitar. One to one interaction with the weavers and discussing their problems.

2nd Day (24/08/12)

10.30AM to 1.30PM

Marketing of product through trade fair and exhibition.

Nilufare Ahmed 2.30PM to 4.30PM

Irin Bismitar, Empanelled Ministry of textiles

Color Forecast. Tie and dye, Sample development.

3rd day (25/8/12)

10.30AM to 1.30PM

Dying of silk yarn with vegetable dye, tie & dye.

Irin Bismitar. 2.30PM to 4.30PM


PowerPoint Presentation Dhamdhama Handloom cluster and its future scope.

4th Day (26/8/12)

10.30AM to 1.30PM

Introduction of computer aided textile design for silk industry.

Gazala Anshari,Designer Assam Textile Institute

2.30PM to 4.30PM


Quality Control of Silk Product and its Specification.

5th Day (27/8/12)

10.30AM to 1.30PM

Color combination and color selection.

Nilufare Ahmed 3.30PM to 4.30PM


Feedback and one to one discussion with the weavers.

Banner Image:

Dhamdhama Handloom Cluster Weavers

DAY ONE of WORKSHOP We couldn’t have a formal opening as other workshop done by us.The main reason is because of the on going conflict going between the Assamese people and Bangladeshi immigrants which is taking place in Assam. Nalbari District in which Dhamdhama district lies is in lower Assam which is not very far from the disturbed area. Two of the major wooden bridge which connects Angardhua and Mohina is in a very poor condition which makes us impossible to travel.

First day was spent visiting most of the villagers and checking out what production thay are doing, what stage they are with the production and what are the major problem they still face as they couldnot reach the venue on time. Every household is upto some kind of production but that still face the same problem on marketing. They are still dependent on middle man to come to their place and collect their product.

At present, a major problem of the industry is that the weavers do not get adequate wages for their labour. Junior weavers get much less.As a result many weavers do not want their children to come to this profession. For many, the garments industry offer a lucrative alternative. A good piece of mekhala chadar/sari needs the labour of one to two weeks, and the wage paid to the weavers does not compensate for their labour. The producers often do not have direct access to markets and because of their dependence on the middlemen, who often form informal cartels, they are deprived of their share of profit. Sometimes, the producers fail to recover the costs.

Thankfully, the government and other organizations like IIE are trying to revive the old glory of Assamese Mekhla Chadar. In a bid to avoid the middleman they are trying to establish direct

contact with the waivers. Organization like NID etc. are providing and helping designers create new designs and products.

Few of the Products done by Dhamdhama weavers: 1.Chadar.

2.Mekhala.

3.Table Mat

4.Runner for dinning table

All the product shown above are done in a simple fly shutter loom. A fly shutter loom is a loom in which the weaver held a picking stick that was attached by cords to a device at both ends of the shed. With a flick of the wrist, one cord was pulled and the shuttle was propelled through the shed to the other end with considerable force, speed and efficiency. A flick in the opposite direction and the shuttle was propelled back. A single weaver had control of this motion but the flying shuttle could weave much wider fabric than an arms length at much greater speeds than had been achieved with the hand thrown shuttle. Weaving is done by intersecting the longitudinal threads, the warp, i.e. "that which is thrown across", with the transverse threads, the weft, i.e. "that which is woven". The major components of the loom are the warp beam, heddles, harnesses or shafts few as two, four is common, shuttle, reed and take up roll. In the loom, yarn processing includes shedding, picking, battening and taking-up operations.

Pictures of Fly shutter looms at Dhamdhama handloom cluster:

More Products from Fly shutter loom:

SECOND DAY of WORKSHOP: Second day went very well. All the weavers gather at the venue on time The !st half started with lecture on marketing of products through trade fair and exhibition by Nilufare Ahmed. After lunch the 2nd half started with lecture on Marketing, Design & colour Trend Forecast by Irin Bismitar (myself). After that we decided to develop few samples so that they get a 1st hand experience of how to select a colour which is predicted by Forecast and match it with different motifs. All the weavers were ready to give us two samples of cushion covers at the end of the workshop and IIE decided to buy all the samples from the weavers so that they can show them to buyers who often visit their office. The process started with selecting of the colors and motifs. All the weavers took different kind of motifs and design. Designs were then transfer to draft paper so that weaving could be done immediately. Few pictures of 2nd day workshop:

2nd day workshop:

THIRD DAY of WORKSHOP: Third day stated with a fresh session on Tie and Dye. Tie-dyeing is accomplished by folding the material into a pattern, and binding it with string or rubber bands. Dye is then applied to only parts of the material. The ties prevent the entire material from being dyed. Designs are formed by applying different colors of dyes to different sections of the wet fabric.

Tie and Dye in processes:

Tie and Dye in process:

Tie and Dye in Process:

Folds and patterns which we tried on the 3rd day of workshop:

Bandhani, which is one form of Tie and Dye which means tying, results from tying and dying of fabric in accordance with the overall design scheme was practice during the workshop. Fabric is tied in small and big knots and then dipped in the dye to prevent coloring of the tied areas. This process leads to the creation of colorful concentric circles and squares, in all sizes. This may be repeated several times, by tying different parts each time keeping in mind the final design or pattern and using new shades of dye. Dying always starts with lighter shades and the darkest shades are used at the end. After each successive dying the cloth is untied and dried.

Below is a list of common modern tie-dyeing folds and patterns.

The 'V' shape is achieved by folding a shirt in half vertically, then a line is drawn diagonally from the shoulder area down to the center fold of the shirt. The fabric is then accordingly folded along the line and bound into one or more areas to which the dye is applied. This will show in the shape of a 'V'.

Random

This category can hold several different patterns, the majority of which have nothing to do with each other; they can be combinations or they can be as chaotic as bundling the item to be dyed.

Random circles

This effect is made by tying knots with string or elastic bands in different places. The more fabric that is tied, the larger the circles.

FOURTH DAY of WORKSHOP: Fourth day of workshop started with encouraging speech from M/s.Gazala Ansari on women empowerment and women entrepreneurship as most of the weavers are women. We decided on creating something creative of all the left over fabric esp. all the beautiful hand woven border which were wasted one the mekhala-chadar or saree were stitch to give it a finish look, which the weavers can sell of in the local market. We decided on to make bright colorful sling bags with all the left over fabric. Women weavers were all interested in learning the new technique. After lunch lecture was taken by Irin Bismitar(Myself) on quality control of silk and cotton product and its specification. PICTURES SHOWING STEP WISE DEMONSTRATION OF MAKING OF BAGS:

PICTURES SHOWING STEP WISE DEMONSTRATION OF MAKING OF BAGS:

FEW SAMPLES:

Instructions:

Select your fabric. Handbags can be made out of nearly anything, including left over hand woven fabric and upholstery fabric. Browse through cupboard or old clothes bin and select material large enough for the handbag size you have in mind.

Find a pattern. Whether you want to knit and felt a handbag

or create your own unique purse, a pattern is essential. You can find handbag patterns at your fabric store, or make your own by tracing the silhouette of a favorite bag.

Cut your material. If you are following a pattern, trace the

templates on your fabric and cut. If you want to make an easy/sling bag, simply fold a piece of fabric in half, cut to size and sew up the sides as shown in the pictures.

Reverse your fabric and sew up your seams by hand or by

using your sewing machine. Hand-stitch on hardware, handles or straps. Turn the bag right-side out and sew on any additional adornments

FIFTH DAY of WORKSHOP: It was the fifth and last day of our workshop. All the weavers were ready with their samples. Each sample was worth a look. We had develop a range of 21 pieces of cushion covers with every possible color on palate we can think off. We paid them Rs.180/2 cushion cover as per their regular wage. The session started with regular theory class on Color combination and selection of colors while picking designs and motifs. The class was taken by Nilofer Ahemad. After a While media arrived and we had one to one interaction with the media regarding the role of NID and IIE in terms of helping sustain small and medium industry and especially about Dhamdhama Handloom cluster.After that we collected all the samples from the weavers and paid them their money. The program ended with one more session on Tie and dye by Irin Bismitar (myself). Through out the 5days we have taught them more then 20 different techniques of doing Tye and Dye,which has turn out to be very beneficial. Weaving is very time consuming so with tye and dye the weavers can take out plain mekhala chadar in one day and wear it by doing Tye and Dye on the same day.So in a very short span of time they can take out the product. So that’s how we came to an end of five days of workshop. It was quite a experience with with them and knowing them more closely inside their working system.

Below are the pictures of few samples develop by the Dhamdhama Weavers.

Samples Pictures:

Sample Pictures:

Tie and Dye Samples:

Tie and Dye T-shirt:

Conclusion: Dhamdhama Handloom cluster is one of the most promising handloom cluster of Assam. No doubt the cluster faces problem like all other cluster but the sprit of people to work even harder will make it a successes very soon. Most of the weavers are engaged in different weaving activity through out the year. Khadi Vikash Kendra is one of the many government organization which is helping the weavers in terms of providing employment and work. Other small organization are also present in and around Dhamdhama handloom cluster which givers weavers regular work though is a very small quantity. As Dhamdhama handloom cluster is close to Guwahati city people have advantage of keeping in touch with the ongoing fashion and trend which is quite a help. The major problem faces by the weavers at this hour are the high price of yarn. As the weavers are not very financially strong so they cannot stock large quantity of yarn. But over all there is lots of positive hope that very soon Dhamdhama Handloom cluster will turn out to be one of the commercial hub in terms of weaving. So with lots of sweet memories we finished the 5 days work shop with a better promise for tomorrow.

Irin Bismitar NIFT Alumni.

dhamdhama handloom cluster - design clinic schemedesignclinicsmsme.org/design awareness programme...

Documents