| Water-Borne Plants Cleverly Converted Into Gorgeous Gifts | ||||
| UPDATE : 19 March 2010 | ||||
Using a crisscross pattern of strips of dried water hyacinth, 83-year-old Choon Cha-onchom has managed to create an attractive ladies' handbag in just a few hours. “I've been crafting things from water hyacinth now for 24 years, so I can finish a bag like this in no time at all,” says Choon, who introduced the method to his neighbors then formed a weaving group in the Klong Nokkratoong ('Nokkratoong Canal') sub-district of Nakhon Pathom's Banglen district, 70 kilometers west of Bangkok. An abundance of supplies Located by the Tha Jeen River, the village's location means that Choon can tap into an abundant supply of the hardy plants. Choon says he has developed over 100 different kinds of weaving patterns since taking up the practice.
Choon's home quickly became a center for neighbors interested in picking up the necessary skills from him and today it's used as the offices of the Water Hyacinth Weaving Cooperative Group of Nokkratoong sub-district. Choon's daughter, 49-year-old Pensri, heads the group. The group is made up of 30 men and women who work in the rice fields and vegetable plots during the day, while spending their free time at home creating products from water hyacinth.
The shelves of Pensri's home office are lined with handbags, baskets, vases, mats and hats made in various shapes and sizes. A nearby storeroom is filled with chairs, tables and sofa sets. “The customers really appreciate our products,” says Pensri, who took over the role of group leader from her father in 2001. Pensri previously worked in the marketing department of a large hypermarket chain. Pensri says that new patterns and designs are created every once in a while in order to liven things up and generate fresh interest among members of the public. Some of the designs are inspired by fashion shoots in magazines, while others are suggested by customers. Many of the group's customers own furniture stalls or operate stalls selling decorative goods at Bangkok's Chatuchak Sunday Market. Floral features Over recent years, Pensri has even introduced chemical dyes into the production process in order to provide more colorful patterns. “It needs new ideas, creativity and imagination to generate new designs so we can continue to attract and satisfy our customers' needs,” she says. One of her most recent advances has been the use of individual flowers made from colored strips of water hyacinth, which are carefully cut and crafted into the right shape. These flowers are used to decorate handbags and baskets.
She says baskets are one of the most popular items produced by the group when it comes to interior decoration and multi-purpose usage. Pensri says demand for the products would indicate that city folk long for a simpler way of life, close to nature. “I believe hand-crafted products made of materials sourced locally will always be in demand as they can provide a charming feature with a natural touch within a modern living space,” she says, adding that she's proud of her products and happy to continue weaving since she thoroughly enj | ||||
วันจันทร์ที่ 22 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Water-Borne Plants Cleverly Converted Into Gorgeous Gifts
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