What is homespun cloth?

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:40

Homewoven fabric is very different from today's machine-made natural fabrics. It is made in a completely different way, adhering to ancient technologies that have been passed down to family members for generations. At the same time, the methods could change, falling into new hands in order to improve the quality of the result. But faith in the forces of nature embedded in the fabric has never faded, and is still warm in fans of Slavic culture.

What was used for

The healing properties attributed to this material, of course, can be exaggerated, but clothes made from it have undeniable advantages over synthetics. However, handmade fabric was used everywhere in the old days. Craftswomen decorated it with a variety of amulets to present it as a gift or keep it for themselves.

This homespun embroidered fabric still enjoys a hugepopularity, although the production technology of the material has changed a lot. And now, perhaps, only the name remains of it.

Raw materials

Very much depends on the plant that was used to create the fiber. Those that our ancestors took had similar properties and allowed them to keep their clothes in good shape for a long time. As a rule, flax and hemp were prepared for homespun linen. The latter was less demanding in care, and therefore was used as a raw material much more often. By the way, even in our time, wardrobe elements from this plant are very popular. And those who once put on a thing made of hemp, after that they cannot switch to cotton or synthetics, considering it a blasphemous action towards themselves.

Weaving

To get a real homespun cloth (the photo is shown above), you have to use old machines, so now there are fewer and fewer masters of this business. The cost of effort is too high and few are able to pay a similar price for natural material for tailoring. The manufacturing process is something like this:

1. Cut hemp is soaked for a while, then the soaked plant is left to dry. When the moisture is completely evaporated, the raw material is again placed in water. This allows you to significantly soften the material for further work.
2. Next, the stems are rolled out with a rolling pin and divided into fibers, from which, after combing, threads are obtained.
3. The future homespun fabric is created using a loom, which requiresquite a lot of time, because you need to set the mechanism in motion with your own hands. And no automatism.
4. The finished material is subjected to a very peculiar bleaching process, leaving it under the scorching sun or in the cold.

In the old days, only natural decoctions of various plants or fruits were recognized as dyes. Therefore, real homespun cloth never shone with a variety of colors, since only gray, brown and green shades were available. However, skillful embroidery compensated for this dubious shortcoming.

Benefits for the body

Hemp material was especially appreciated, as this raw material has excellent absorbent properties and has effects similar to thermal underwear (keeping body temperature within comfortable limits, regardless of weather conditions). In addition, it does not irritate the skin at all, despite the external roughness.

Earlier, homespun cloth was used for rubbing and lotions. However, in some countries, hemp fabric is still used for such purposes, and even doctors note its bactericidal properties. Therefore, wearing clothes made from this raw material is not only pleasant, but also useful.