Malaysian Borneo meets Shetland

As part of the textile network project that GlobalYell is running some cones of fine natural yarns from Shetland made their way to a weaving atelier in Malaysian Borneo.

The boutique songket house, Tanoti, in Sarawak houses a community of master weavers and designers who specialise in this technique, using a supplementary weft to create intricate patterns and colours in the fabrics. Here are two articles that explain the history of the studio and the weaving of the fabric.

Traditionally these fabrics have been woven with silk using metallic threads to create the patterns and richness of the material. In conversation with the director we discussed the possibility of using wool with silk, an exciting and intriguing project for both of us. The result has been stunning; sophisticated and elegant as well as effortlessly cool in both sense of the word.