Clothing With Banana Fibres

Banana plant is endowed with virtuous fibres which has versatile applications. Though, the plant is more popular for its fruit, it has been a source of high quality fibre which is used to manufacture textiles. Banana shoots produce fibres with varying softness used for making different products. This plant is a good source of quality textiles.

Making of the Fibre
The stem of the banana plant is cut and processed. The skin is then peeled off, and fibres are extracted. The extracted fibre is cooked in a big pot of boiling lye, an alkali solution. After cooking for several hours, it is then washed to remove the alkali. Using a tool, the fibre is removed from the skin. Soft fibres are used for weft, while the hard fibres are used for the warp. The fibres are immersed in water and squeezed lightly. They are then separated by running nails along the fibres from the root moving upwards. Individual fibres are joined together to make one continuous thread. This is a tedious and time consuming job requiring much patience.

The extracted fibres are made wet to avoid breaking, and are spun in a spinning wheel. The thread is now dyed steamed and dyed. After dyeing, the thread is laid out according to the design and passed through a temporary reed. The ward is wounded onto the beam and passed through the reed and heddle. The thread is moistened frequently to avoid breaking while weaving. Once the cloth is woven, it is washed, and boiled in an alkali solution. Later it is washed, dried, and neutralized in rice vinegar solution. Finally, the cloth is washed again, dried and ironed.

Applications of the Fibre
Papers made from banana fibres have good market in 25 international countries including Europe. These papers are chemical free, and posses' eco friendly qualities, with longevity of 700 years. Apart from this table mats, bags, runners, coasters, and floor mats are also made from banana fibres. In Japan, these fibres are used for making traditional dresses like kimono. Its light weight and skin friendly virtues have made it a preferential choice for summer wear. In home textile segment, this fibre finds its way in cushion covers, curtains, and table cloths.

Source : articlesnatch.com