Process
- The fibres are extracted from home grown jute which is cut, soaked in water, left to season and then sun dried.
- The fibres are then hand-rolled in required dimension.
- The rolled strands are dyed and sun-dried before weaving.
- The weaving is done on home-made back strap looms. The loom is made of bamboo and wood and is unique in the sense that the sitting position of the weaver is a part of the loom.
- There are some mat-weavers who prefer to buy the rolled and ready fibre from the local market as it is easy to work with. A few weavers are fine making mats with strands which are 1/3rd of the width of regular strands.
- The motifs woven on the mats are simple and basic, mostly based on indigenous motifs. The women stick to these basic shapes and there is minimal experimentation. The weaving pattern is simple — one up-one down plain weave and is done between daily chores.
- Weaving is done in approximately 7 ft by 2 ft pieces. Three pieces are joined together to make a single mat of 6 ft x 7 ft.
