Computerized Design for Hand-Woven Fabric Patterns for Contemporary Fashion at Kutwa Community Enterprise, Kalasin Province

Abstract

Kutwa community enterprise, Kuchinarai district, Kalasin province is a group that gathers for fabric weaving and produces hand-woven cloth with the community’s distinctive identity. Products include shirts, bags, scarfs, shawls, hair ties, and loincloths, presented in local woven fabric patterns that are based on traditional styles and within a limited variety. Thus, the products may not attract a large group of customers. This research aims to promote the local hand-craft woven pattern design and develop contemporary fashion products. The research participants are five fabric design specialists and 30 members of Kut Wa subdistrict community enterprise group. The study follows these procedures: 1) Conceptualization and research process, 2) Community enterprise groups need analysis, 3) Collaboration with the community on fabric patterns design using a computerized design program, 4) Fabric pattern design based on local identity, 5) Analysis of fabric quality assessment and woven fabric pattern selection, 6) Prototyping the woven products, and 7) Distribution channeling. The project results in nine computerized design patterns of the hand-woven fabrics, as detailed: 1) Dok-wai pattern combined with pinwheels pattern 2) floating snake combined with Ya-Ku relics 3) Dok-Kaew Bamboo garland pattern 4) Big floating snake combined with ‘khit’ pattern 5) Phan Bai Sri decorated with Dok-Kaew and floating snake pattern 6) Pinwheel combined with bamboo garland and floating snake pattern 7) Human combined with half-Khit pattern 8) Kutwa bamboo garland pattern and  9) Dok-Kaew combined with Ton-Wha leaf pattern. These patterns are used to develop community products with various weaving patterns for customers’ choice.  In conclusion, the enterprise group members have gained more income from an average of 70,000 baht per year to 80,000 -150,000 baht per year.