Chanthala Handmade Silk

About

At Chanthala Handmade Silk, we offer you beautiful handmade Lao silk for personal fashion or your home decor, while at the same time we're endeavoring to open up more market opportunities for Lao silk producers. Our large range of affordable handmade Mulberry Silks direct from Laos is lovingly crafted by artisans dedicated to preserving unique & traditional methods.

Our handmade silks are naturally textured to touch with natural and synthetic dyes used and each piece can vary slightly from one to the next because they are individually crafted. You'll feel and see the difference between Chanthala Handmade Silk and other machine made silk and synthetic materials.

Our main products are scarves and shawls. You can make your own choice to utilize the versatility of each amazing piece. Wear them as scarves, clothing or make your house uniquely beautiful using them for table decor, wall hangings or even curtains. Some of products are locally Australian designed and made, such as our Tissues boxes based around silk materials from Laos. We offer both online retailing and wholesale.

Laos, or the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is located in the centre of 5 Greater Mekong Region countries - China, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam. Laos like other Asian countries has a long rich history of making silk, but in Laos it is still based on traditional methods. Local Lao people still prefer to produce silk products by hand as it is believed that their effort and patience in producing each piece is rewarded with a creation that they can be proud of. The Lao silk making tradition is practiced throughout the country, but our products are mainly sourced from artisans from around Vang Vieng town as well as the Northern Xiengkhuang province, which is home to the World Heritage Listed Plain of Jars.

Lao silk making starts when mulberry leaves are fed to Silk moth caterpillars and after about 20 to 30 days of growing they are now ready to spin a silk cocoon. When the cocoons are ready they are placed in hot water to soften so the silk can be unwound (reeling) without breaking. After that all silk is collected for the process of making thread and then dyed into different colours using natural or synthetic dyes. The silk thread is then dried until the colour firmly sticks. It is now ready to weave and to make into the many wonderful silk products.

Simple wooden framed hand and foot operated looms are used as the traditional method of making silk in Lao villages. As a result, individual Lao scarves and shawls can take up to many days to complete depending on each piece's design and patterns.

Gaining access to more markets for their silk products is a major issue for the local villagers and Chanthala Handmade Silk is happy to assist by being able to bring these quality handmade goods to you.