Threads of knowledge at the Hoi An Museum of Folklife

At the Hoi An Musuem of Folklife there was a silk weaving demonstration that I found mesmerizing, because it's so rare to see weaving or textile making in it's traditional form being performed live. At the Vietnam Musuem of Ethnology in Hanoi, there where many displays of looms in the collection with audio/visual accompaniments to help the visitor to understand how the tool may be used, however, this demonstration was for me a real treat.  The woman pictured below sat quietly at the loom and methodically moved the thread guide between the red and gold silk threads, tapping the threads firmly into place and moving the pedals with her feet. In doing so, she changed the pattern, also by pulling on weights, hung by ropes, attached to many threads. The repeated pattern within the fabric she created was intricate and detailed, compared to the uncomplicated bamboo frame holding the work.  I watched her, smiling, taking a few pictures and video to show friends and family later of the demonstration. The experience for me felt intimate, because she wasn't on a stage or being circled by a frenzy of cameras and iPhones. The feeling reminded me of how my mother taught me to sew, first by watching, then supervised basic sewing and finally being left alone to make my creations, but nothing was ever written down. If the machine jammed, the bobbin tangled or the needle broke, I would call her for help and she would just "magically" know what to do. How did she know this? A combination of her own experience sewing and what she learned from her mother (my grandmother). Since Modernity has taken up more time in my life, I no longer have the luxury of time to sew as much as I would like too these days. I miss the physical act of making something- creating something, out of something else. I envied this woman.