Khadi weaving

In India, khadi is not just a cloth, it is a whole movement started by Mohandas Karamchand [3] Gandhi. The Khadi movement promoted an ideology, an idea that Indians could be self-reliant on cotton and be free from the high priced goods and clothes which the British were selling to them. The British would buy cotton from India at cheap prices and export them to Britain where they were woven to make clothes. These clothes were then brought back to India to be sold at hefty prices. The Khadi movement aimed at boycotting foreign goods including cotton and promoting Indian goods, thereby improving India's economy. Mahatma Gandhi began promoting the spinning of khd for rural self employment and self-reliance (instead of using cloth manufactured industrially in Britain) in 1920s India thus making khadi an integral part and icon of the Swadeshi movement. The freedom struggle revolved around the use of khd fabrics and the dumping of foreign-made clothes. When some people complained about the costliness of khadi to Mahatma Gandhi, he started wearing only dhoti. What is khadi ? Khadi is hand (home) spun and hand (home) woven cloth. It can be cotton, silk or wool. Khadi is the cloth- and home-industry that M. Gandhi (link), during the independence-war, fiercely protected against the cheaper, imported cloth from England (the worlds textile giant of the time and coloniser of India). Mahatma Gandhi began promoting the spinning of khadi for rural self -employment and self-reliance in 1920s India, thus making khadi an integral part and icon of the Swadeshi movement. The freedom struggle revolved around the use of khadi fabrics and the dumping of foreign-made clothes. Thus it symbolized the political ideas and independence itself, and to this day most politicians in India are seen only in khadi clothing. The khadi fabric is slowly disappearing in India if it were not for a few innovative designers who try to give it a new life. They come up with new colours and weaves. Khadi can take on many different looks. taken fromkhadi (link) on Wikipedia. Our wrapskirts are made of khadi. The fabric becomes even more beautifull once you know the history and background of it. The weaving of khadi cloth, done in between farmwork, often provides the so much needed extra little bit of income to the farmers. Khadi is woven in often rural areas where there is no electricity. Everything is done by hand. It explains the loss of fabric that can be as much as 20%. Often small stains, discolouring and even bird droppings can be found on the cloth before washing ( all kadhi products are washed and preshrunk) and sewing. The small weaving errors give it the particular khadi charm. Khadi has the unique property of keeping the wearer warm in winter as well as cool in summer. The more you wash it, the better it looks and feels. Khadi is more than fabric; it is a way of life. It stands for independence and for going back to basics. Our goal for the (near) future is to have khadi woven from ecologically grown cotton (cotton that grows without the use of pesticides, herbicides and defoliants).

The world is becoming more ecologically and ethically aware. We know that for many textile communities in India the so much needed transformation from chemically grown cotton to organic & fairly traded cotton is just starting. House of Khadi wants to help these growers and communities achieve their goals.

THE MAKE: Khadi is an Indian Hand spun and hand woven fabric. It represents the soul of India as India is considered to be the original home of cotton, where the cultivation of cotton is guessed to have been started in agricultural era about 8000 years ago. The formal use of this word started much later after the advent of Mahatma Gandhi on Indian Scene. THE FIBRE: Khadi is made up of Natural fibers of cotton, silk and wool symbolizing classic simplicity and giving airy comfort. It is a versatile fabric, suited for all climates i.e. cool in summers and warm in winters. Also its textured beauty is in tune with the natural look of today. Because of the above 2 reasons, the fashion circuit has recently witnessed a revival of the Khadi fabric and a very lucrative national and international market for Khadi garments. Khadi's popularity on international basis was also experienced when it was used in some of the costumes for the Star Wars prequels such as Mace Windu's (Samuel I Jackson) attire. THE FABRIC: Also because it falls well and becomes 2nd skin after 2 washes. It breathes. Khadi has become so popular that internationally renowned fashion designers also prefer to use Khadi for even their bridal collection. It gives a magnificent effect that people now prefer to wear Khadi on every occasion. Designer and fashion watchers insist that the best Khadi can compete with the famed Egyptian cotton as now Khadi has turned from a staid and rigid fabric into a fabric that exudes youthful exuberance. Finally it can be said that Khadi is an absolute art with beautiful weaving & craftsmanship. When completed with surface ornamentation, layering and embroidery, Khadi turns into a chic and beautifully cut ready to wear garment. KHADI HISTORY: Gandhi and Khadi: Khadi industry is the way we keep Gandhiji's dream alive. Gandhiji elevated the fragile thread of cotton to a symbol of strength, self sufficiency and self employment and that symbolism of weaving cloth made by human hands has continued till day. Understanding it: Gandhiji discovered Charkha (the holy wheel that produces Khadi which not only covers the body but also unites the nation by providing employment to the tribal class which has the best craftsmanship but lack the education) in London in 1908. It was when he observed that many of the men, women and children are compelled to go to bed empty stomach; he found a unique way to help such poor people by educating them to weave Khadi. Without investing a penny they can start weaving Khadi and feed their family. Spinning Khadi and producing Khadi not only for one's employment but also is a way to live with pride. He found Khadi to be unique instrument to promote communal harmony and religious tolerance. (Thus through Khadi Gandhiji gave us a message of simplicity, service to mankind, creating an

indissoluble bond between the rich and the poor, capital and the labor. As said, the future lies with nations that believe in manual labor, through Khadi, we give rebirth to the manual and auspicious work of weaving and spinning. Gandhiji's underlying aim was of self sustainability. His whole premise was that everybody rich or poor or in between should have access to food, shelter and clothing in a self reliant way i.e. they should not create dependencies on cities, government or economies, lest they get corrupt.

Khadi commands a sentimental value for Indians. It is often associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Someone said, the first true Indian designer was Mahatma because of his appeal to Indians to wear Khadi garments. That appeal was necessitated because of the need of creating self reliance and proving unity of India to English. Khadi also symbolized the need and importance of indigenous manufactured goods. Khadi represented India's resistance and revolution. Khadi was also the face of Indian identity. Many people get confused between charkha with kargha (handloom). The basic difference between the two is while Khadi is hand made; handloom yarn is processed at the mills. Khadi is not just a cloth, it is a whole movement started by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The Khadi movement aimed at boycotting foreign goods and promoting Indian goods, Thereby improving India's economy. Mahatma Gandhi began promoting the spinning of Khadi for rural self-employment and self-reliance (instead of using cloth manufactured industrially in Britain) in 1920s India thus making Khadi an integral part and icon of the Swadeshi movement. The freedom struggle revolved around the use of Khadi fabrics and the dumping of foreign-made clothes. When some people complained about the costliness of Khadi to Mahatma Gandhi, he started wearing only loincloth. Thus it symbolized the political ideas and independence itself, and to this day most politicians in India are seen only in Khadi clothing. The flag of India is only allowed to be made from this material, although in practice many flag manufacturers, especially those outside of India, ignore this rule.

Overview
Khadi is a versatile fabric. It has the unique property of keeping the wearer warm in winter as well as cool in summer season. This fabric has coarse texture and gets easily crumpled, therefore in order to keep it firm and stiff, starch is to be added. This fabric on washing is more enhanced thus the more you wash it, better the look. Khadi is not easily worn out for years together, at least for 4-5 years. Very attractive and designer apparel are

made by doing handwork on them garments made from it. Khadi spinning is generally done by girls and women and weaving mostly by men. During spinning of Khadi the threads are interwoven in such a manner that it provides passage of air circulation in the fabric. Apart from this unique property, it also provides warmth in winter season which is quite surprising factor. Khadi cotton is required to be starched so that it does not get easily crumpled. It comes in many colors and is not harmful to the skin as synthetic fabrics. This cotton is very soothing in summer season as ample amount of air ventilation is there, it has the capacity to absorb moisture therefore it easily soaks the sweat and keeps the wearer cool and dry. Khadi cotton comes in plain as well as in printed fabrics. The most common outfit of made from Khadi cotton is the'Kurta'. Many types of apparel are manufactured from Khadi cotton like saris, salwar suits, fabric yarns, western tops, shirts, trousers, skirts, handkerchief,etc. It is a very durable fabric. In Khadi silk, the ratio of Khadi and silk fabric is 50:50. This fabric requires dry cleaning. It shrinks about 3% after the first wash. It is quite an expensive fabric. Khadi silk provides a royal and rich look. The various types of apparels made from Khadi silk are salwar kameez, kurta pajama, saris, dupattas, shirts, vest and jackets. Apparels like kurta, jacket, sari blouses requires lining to be given to ensure its longetivity. Previously Khadi was dyed in earthy color tones and was used to make traditional garments but now designers are experimenting by dyeing Khadi with striking colors like limegreen, violet, baby pink, turquoise blue, etc. Stylish garments like mini skirts, halter neck tops, racer tops, tunics, etc are made from Khadi. Khadi is hand woven and hand spun fabric which takes time to be made. It is mainly manufactured in rural areas of India. In previous times it was considered as the fabric for the poor rural workers & farmers. But wearing Khadi is no more for the poor, many high profile personalities and economically sound people prefer to wear it. It is considered as one of the most beautiful Indian fabric. The Khadi wearer gets a royal and distinguishable look due to its fall and style. It symbolizes luxury and uniqueness.

Government Policies
Khadi and village industries commission' is the Indian government body which promotes the usage of Khadi. Khadi production and selling comes under the small scale industry sector. This government body was created by an act which was passed by the Parliament. This gave a boost to the Khadi manufacturing sector of India, as a result many new outlets of Khadi gramodyog opened all over the country. These shops sell stitched as well as unstitched Khadi fabrics. Every year starting from the date- 3rd October to January 29th all Khadi gramodyog bhavans provide discount to the public on various Khadi products. It comes under the category of Indian handloom. This sector also generates employment for the rural population of India. Indian government conducts various exhibitions and trade fairs in India and abroad to promote this fabric. The small scale industries engaged in manufacturing of Khadi gets economic redemption for the raw materials and production costs by Indian government. According to a recent survey done it provides employment to 14.97 lakhs of people, the total annual production of Khadi is 111.49 million sq. mtrs.

Khadi over the decades has moved from a freedom fighter's identity fabric to a fashion garment. Today there is such an increasing demand for Khadi that despite of the thousands of workers involved in spinning and producing Khadi fabric, the demand of the market does not gets fulfilled.