Three Place Craftsman Relay: From Several Bundles Of Silk Thread To A Sky Blue Four Warp Twisted Silk Gown

Recently, through the relay of craftsmen from Jiangsu, Hubei and Zhejiang, this sky blue four warp twisted silk gown took nearly 8 months to complete in Pujiang County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, from silk weaving, dyeing, cutting to sewing.

When talking about the journey of mind, Zhao Fangying, a master of arts and crafts in Jinhua City, the last stick of the relay, said frankly: "The clothes are light in texture and carry heavy cultural value, so I dare not be careless."

Recently, Zhao Fangying, a master of arts and crafts in Jinhua City, sewed long gowns. (Courtesy of respondents)

　　 Cloth that cannot be rejected

It has been decades since Zhao Fangying entered the tailoring industry at the age of 16. On weekdays, she and her daughter Yu Lu run a cheongsam studio. They are both guests and apprentices, determined to pass on the ingenuity and skills of the older generation.

In the past, the customer list of the studio could not be completed all the year round, and there was basically no temporary new order. But when she saw the cloth, she changed her mind.

This 0.39 meter wide and 11.3 meter long four warp twisted silk was made by Zhou Jiaming, a craftsman who learned weaving techniques from childhood and "revived" the four warp twisted silk unearthed from the Han Tomb at Mawangdui. It was dyed by Huang Ronghua, a craftsman who was praised by the industry as "China's first natural dye".

"A skilled weaver can only weave a finished product 5 cm to 10 cm long in one day, and the 11.3 meter four warp winder will take more than 100 days," Zhou said.

The cloth is precious, and dyeing cannot be lost. The artistic color of "sky blue and other misty rain" was blended into the tone by poets, quenched into kiln fire by craftsmen, and immersed into dye vats by dyers.

Considering the symmetry of dyeing, Huang Ronghua cut the cloth after receiving it. "This color will be taken out after being dipped in the plant dye vat for tens of seconds. If it is dyed together, it may be stained out," he said.

Recently, the sky blue four warp twisted silk gown under the sun was slightly shiny. (Courtesy of respondents)

　　 "The last stick" of eel bone acupuncture

Then, the light and smooth Tianqingsijingjuanluo arrived in Zhao Fangying's hands and waited for the relay. As the width of this four warp twisted silk is narrow, it needs to be spliced in the middle to make clothes. Zhao Fangying plans to use the eel bone needle method to try.

"In traditional clothing, the analogy of eel bone needling is derived from the shape of stitches. The spine of the eel is fine and zigzag, and the front stitch is like a star dot, which will eventually form a back bone like that of the eel, hence the name." Zhao Fangying explained that this kind of needling is often used in the delicate and easily worn parts of clothing seams, which can enhance the durability of the fabric.

Zhao Fangying learned the stitch from her father and improved it. After nearly a month of manual sewing, the cloth was turned into a long gown.

In addition, Zhao Fangying also paid special attention to the neckline that is easy to wear and designed it into a detachable style, which is not only easy to change the shape, but also more comfortable and breathable to wear.

"There are still more than two meters left in the cloth, and we can still make a small shirt." Zhao Fangying talked about the cloth carefully, cherishing it.

(Source: China News Network)