In the ancient village of Iapngar, sericulture was a time-honored tradition, primarily centered around the consumption of Eri Silk worms. However, it was in the early 70s that the enchanting art of Eri Silk Spinning and Handloom weaving found its way to Iapngar, brought by the visionary ‘Kristina Dris Lyngdoh Thaiang.’ Passing on her craft, Kristina inspired a legacy, with one of her students, Kong Prissila Rymbai, becoming a torchbearer.

Enter Kong Iaishah Rymbai, a passionate school teacher, handloom weaver, and the founder of “EriWeave.” The spark for this initiative ignited in 2018 when a scarf order fell behind schedule due to yarn scarcity, prompting Kong Iaishah to ponder the limited knowledge of spinning and weaving in the area.

Determined to bridge this gap, she rallied a team and collaborated with Raid Iapngar Handloom Weaver Cooperative Society. With the cooperative’s support, EriWeave emerged, not just as a brand but as a movement empowering women, reviving sustainable clothing, and breathing life into the age-old art of handlooms.

Hand Spun Eri Silk Yarn is being produced by the Women of Iapngar, Ri-Bhoi District,Meghalaya.

Eri silk dyeing uses lac, turmeric, leaves, and barks to be environmentally friendly. Carefully processing plant sources, extracting pigments, and making a dye bath is required. For better colour fixing, ethically produced Eri silk is pretreated and optionally mordanted.

The dye solution is carefully heated to extract bright colours and strained for smooth liquid dye. Immerse and rinse the fabric to ensure uniform covering before air-drying. Water conservation, natural component use, and waste management help manufacture ethical and ecologically beneficial Eri silk fabrics.

Traditional designs and methods of weaving are preserved in the fabric that our skilled women weavers from rural areas create. The intricate patterns, varied motifs, and vibrant colour combinations of Eriweave are a testament to the creative ability and cultural heritage of our weavers.

Fabric aesthetics and community identity are both boosted by this deliberate effort to preserve and promote traditional weaving processes. Connecting generations, Eriweave influences societal ideas, gives women agency, and showcases indigenous craftsmanship.