The Art of Weaving Jamdani

Jamdani, one of the oldest and most intricate forms of handwoven fabric, has been crafted for centuries in Bengal. Revered for its delicate artistry and complex designs, Jamdani is more than just a fabric – it’s a symbol of cultural heritage and the skill of generations of weavers. The process of creating Jamdani fabric is steeped in tradition, with each step requiring a high level of expertise passed down through families, often over hundreds of years.

1. Designing the Pattern: The journey to create Jamdani begins with the design. Each motif is carefully thought out before being rendered on graph paper for weavers to refer to when working on the loom. At Karomi, we pride ourselves on our unique approach to Jamdani designs, spending countless hours to formulate concepts that push the boundaries of traditional jamdani motifs. One of our primary goals is to reinvent and modernize the craft of jamdani to create designs that resonate with the new age consumer. While we’re still inspired by nature, daily life, and spiritual symbolism, we incorporate these concepts into our designs in a more abstract rather than literal way.

Our contemporary fabric designs push our weavers to work outside their comfort zones to hone their craft. The ability to adapt to intricate, modern patterns is essential for our weavers’ survival in an increasingly modernizing society. With consumers constantly seeking fresh designs that fit into a modern fashion climate, it is important for weavers to develop their skills to create pieces that can keep up with dynamic tastes. Since weaving skills are learned through experience, passed down from one generation to the next, it is through practising consistent reinvention that weavers of this heritage craft are able to cement themselves as an immovable entity in the everchanging fashion industry. 

2. Preparing and Dyeing the Yarn: The next step is preparing the yarn. Cotton, which forms the base of Jamdani, is spun into fine threads by hand using an ambar charkha . This process can take weeks to perfect, as the yarn needs to be fine enough to weave detailed motifs but sturdy enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily use. The yarn is then dyed with natural plant-based dyes. In keeping with our company ethos of sustainable living, these dyes are often sourced from the local environment – flowers, leaves, and minerals.

3. Setting Up the Loom: With the yarn ready, the loom is set up. Setting up the loom involves two processes – drumming and healding. The warp threads of yarn are first arranged on a large drum to exactly match the dimensions needed for the intricate jamdani patterns to emerge. After this the threads are healded. Healding allows for the warp threads to be controlled by weavers and arranges these in a manner that enables the interlacement of warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads to eventually create the textile fabric. It involves individually threading every fine thread of yarn through a needle, which is an extremely tedious task that demands extraordinary hand-eye coordination. Once the warp threads have been arranged according to required specifications, they are transferred to the loom to begin the process of weaving.

4. Weaving the Fabric: After the warp is arranged, the weaver creates each line of fabric individually by using the loom apparatus to interlace warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads. To create patterns, jamdani weavers use the hand-picked warp method. This involves studying the pattern on the graph paper to identify individual locations on the fabric that require intervention with an extra-weft thread. Once the point(s) of intervention have been located, the weaver expertly picks up individual warp threads, using a needle-like tool, and inserts the extra-weft thread, with the intervention creating the pattern.

5. Finishing Touches: The woven fabric is initially extremely stiff because the yarns are heavily starched before weaving to enable them to withstand the pressure and tension of the loom. To bring out the intrinsically luxurious, soft feel of the threads used, freshly woven pieces are washed and pressed. They are first soaked in water and then pressed to get rid of excess starch. Once this is done, the process is completed by carefully ironing the pieces.The end result is a beautifully crafted textile that tells the story of its weaver’s dedication, patience, and skill, woven together with the common thread of ancient cultural heritage. 

Jamdani is embroidery on the loom, where even just one inch of fabric can take up to one week to weave. It is a wonderfully technical art form that is a testament to the mastery and perseverance of the elite cohorts of weavers who have the skills to weave it. The meticulous patience and expertise required to weave jamdani make it a cultural legacy of the subcontinent and one of the most advanced handwoven techniques in the world. Karomi is honoured to work with more than 100 weavers, across five weaving clusters in West Bengal.

To get a more thorough look into the process of creating Karomi Jamdani, check out our Craft page.