Suai Visit 2008 – Women and Weaving
From Pat Jessen: June 2008
Tais Kamenassa
This time I made the time to go to where the women were weaving their Tais (textiles) in the homes, villages and workshop. There will be a Timor Leste Women’s Weaving Exhibition, Forum and Market in September 2008. We wanted to ensure that women of Covalima had their work on display and on sale at the market at St Kilda Town Hall.
We found the Covalima women weave beautiful & varied pieces across the district and between villages. The traditional futus, (weaving method of dying patterns) that have been handed down by ancestors continue to be woven into the fabric in each village with attention to dyes, colour, cotton & design. As well as the traditional weaving some new Thai looms have been brought to Suai by Timor Aid who are training young women on the new technique.
The Forum in September will discuss old and new methods and markets. We commissioned some new products including scarves and belts which were produced by the women’s weaving group in Suai Loro village in great colours which we think will appeal to the local market in Australia.
For stories and photographs of the exhibition, and Forum as well as an article about the Tais in the traditional Culture section of this website Suai Media Space click here.
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