Winter 2019 - 29. Batik and Sari Factory

29.  Batik and Sari Factory

Batik and Weaving Centre

When it comes to textiles I know my stuff, or so I thought!  I was surprised when I saw a fabric and I did not know how it was woven. Yes, imagine me, the textile scholar, not knowing?  I had to learn and see for myself… amazing.

After I studied the process I understood it perfectly but wow, what work it is to do this.

Weaving Design, Unfortunately Covered With Plastic

Actually the fabric, the design in it, is first printed on the filling threads, which are all lined up or laid down on a printing table, no weaving yet, just threads side by side that were partially dyed in the batik

Beautiful Colours Being Woven

fashion. Then, each thread is wound around a bobbin in the order in which it was printed, or dyed…. Using these now numbered bobbins, it was woven by hand. It had to be woven by hand; machine weaving could not do it.

This was tricky weaving, for sure. In order to line up the design properly in the loom, markers were specially printed outside the actual fabric, on the edges that had to be mini adjusted by the weaver after each pass of the shuttle. A very tedious process but… it created a look, a design one does not see very often.

This weaving is time consuming, the yield (yards) per day is very low, which also means this fabric is very, very expensive. As it should be…. 

Hans' Wall Hanging From India

No, I did not buy any of it, the design was again, too Balinese for me, for my taste. But I appreciate the ideas behind the fabrics, the workmanship was great. 

I still have on the wall in my office the wall hanging I bought in India, there just is no longer room to hang anything else, however rare it is. I got the idea, and yes, WOW, amazing. But I have some pictures that will have to do as a memory.

A Batik Top, Very Cool

Carol loved some of the garments she saw but the prices in this place were extreme. Expensive!

Making a Design Before It Is Dyed

Adding the Wax to the Design

Still Carol found a top she just had to have…pure Batik, pure fun and different.

I tried to buy a shirt, different, too but… they just don’t make my size…

What they call XXXL is still not made large enough for my Buddha body. So we had a nice visit, but only Carol could find something to take home.

Some of Their Fashions

Adding Wax to Areas Not to be Dyed

Incredible Batik Designs

It Must Have Taken Hours to Make This One

Winter 2019 - 28. Tegenungan Water Falls

28.  Tegenungan Water Falls

Tegenungan Water Falls - People Playing Above the Falls and Below the Falls

Supposed to Sit Inside the Swing But We Opted Not To

After all the rain we had had, the falls were impressive. Again, these falls are advertised as a MUST see on any itinerary of Bali. With water being a ‘holy’ concept in Bali I can understand that a visit is obligatory. But for my taste too many tourists visit here. We did the tourist thing, too. Sat in a swing made out of twigs and had our picture taken by Agung with the Water Falls in the background. Typical tourists, we even smiled for the camera.

A Long Way Down and Most Steps Had No Railing

I drew the line when Agung wanted to climb down to the water level, though. 

I would have been more impressed if I had been the only person at this place without any vendors, without any restaurants serving duck soup, etc.

Outside the gate were so many vendors it was difficult to walk through the gauntlet.

OK, I was there, saw it….. Next, please!

Winter 2019 - 27. Gold and Silver Smith

Outside Was More Interesting Than Inside

27.   Gold and Silver Smith

Agung meant well, but some places are too commercial, too many tourists go there, the uniqueness is gone. Such was the case with our visit to Sari Dewi, a large ‘factory’ for jewelry.

Tools of the Trade But No Demonstration

Naturally the items offered had a very, very Indian, Hindu kind of look to them. Not something a Canadian would appreciate and use in their wardrobe.

Way Too Ornate For Me

Some pieces were very elaborate but the metal was mostly silver, the few gold items were the lesser end of gold, 12 or 14K and not appealing.

I sat on a bench and the shop served me a mint tea, Carol tried to find something she could like but it did not take long before she came and said to Agung to move on to our next stop.

The workmanship was good, it’s just the ‘looks’ are not up Carol’s alley.