The inconsistencies in handloom products
Sometimes, you may look at a saree and wonder at the odd raised thread, or a pattern that ends abruptly, or maybe the seemingly 'loose' threads that seem to be attaching the border with the body.
However, these imperfections and little inconsistencies are the hallmarks of a handloom/handmade product.
Why do handloom products have these inconsistencies?
Handlooms, as the name suggests, are looms that are operated manually. That is, the warp and weft threads of the saree are repeatedly tapped and pulled by the weaver themselves to create the design and patterns.
Thus, when you see holes on the selvage of the saree, it is because that is where the saree was latched tightly on to the loom so that the weavers can go about weaving designs and patterns on it.
The 'Korvai' weaving of Kanjivaram sarees is another example. For handloom Kanjivaram sarees, the border and body are woven separately, which are then fused expertly by weavers, which are seen on the portion where the body and border of the saree meet (as in the picture above). This actually adds to the strength to the saree, and is considered a hallmark of Kanjivaram saree.
What is considered as a defect then?
There are no specific methods to categorize if a weaving inconsistency is a defect or not. However, by and large, the below points come under weaving inconsistencies of a handloom saree and are NOT considered defects:
* The small knots or bumps in threads you often see occur when broken threads are pieced together. This is not considered a defect.
* The uneven threads connecting the border to the body are not considered defects.
* Slubs - residual threads bundled together in tiny knots.
* Minute gaps in and around motifs
* The dyed threads sometimes run over the pallu with Zari threads, which looks like the color has 'bled' from the body to the pallu. Rest assured, it is the powerloom working with a dyed thread that often gets added to the pallu, and is not considered a defect.
* In sarees that have Bandhani patterns, often the loose threads that were used to tie portions of the saree for the tie-and-dye designs inadvertently get stuck to the saree. But not to worry! These threads can be carefully cut out without any damage to the saree.
* Colors can be a tricky topic too. We state the colors of the saree based on the color of the threads used on the warp and weft. But when two different hues come together, it may happen that they mix to become an entirely different color when seen on our website.
A good example is brown and red coming together to look like maroon when photographed. We take great pains to ensure you get what you see, but in case the users device is has its own monitor/display settings, the colors may look different. If you are still unsure about the colors being displayed, feel free to get in touch with us and we can share you a video or get on a video call with you to ease all your apprehensions!
What we do consider as defects are:
* Tear in the saree
* Incorrect length (instead of what was stated),
* Missing blouse piece (if mentioned that the saree has a blouse piece)
But rest assured, we have a robust quality check team that goes through each product meticulously to ensure you get only the best quality of products!
If you have any queries, feel free to email us at hello@shobitam.com