2. PROCESSING
FIBRE EXTRACTION:
Gathering of lotus leaf stems.
Knife cut is made around a bunch of 5-6 stems.
Twisting is done to reveal 20-30 fine white
filaments.
They are drawn and rolled into a single thread.
YARN PREPARATION:
Placing skeins on bamboo spinning frame.
Transferring the thread onto winders for warping
process.
5. To avoid tangling,40m yarn lifted from warp post
and is coiled into plastic bags.
Yarn for weft is wound onto small bamboo
bobbins.
WEAVING:
Type of Loom-Cambodian Loom(no warp beam).
Width of the cloth-24”(60-75cm).
Fabric is woven in 100yds(90m) batches.
7. Fibres from 120,000 lotus stems are needed to weave
the fabric for a costume.
Dye - chemical or natural dyes.
PROPERTIES:
Finest aquatic fibres
Breathable & comfortable
Soft & irregular weft
Crease resistance
Under small stress,lotus fibre has good elasticity
8. Appearance of linen or raw silk
Colour of lotus fibre-milky yellow
Wrinkle free
Cellulosic fibre
Cool, stiff & neat
Moisture absorption & fast drying
STRUCTURE:
Lotus fibre is multi-filament(fineness of each
monofilament-4µm, space between-3µm to 5µm).
Cross section of fibre-round or oval.
9. COMPARISON OF PROPERTIES WITH OTHER FIBRES
Initial modulus is 146.81 cN/dtex-superior to
cotton,wool,silk and close to ramie.
Breaking tenacity is 3.44 cN/dtex-superior to
wool, close to cotton,silk and next to ramie.
Elongation at break is 2.75%-close to ramie and
smaller than cotton,wool & silk.
10. ADVANTAGES:
It is a powerful plant as it has many healing properties.
Environmental friendly as it is organic and natural fibre.
DISADVANTAGES:
Raw material collection to yarn spinning and weaving is
completely handmade.
Time consuming and expensive.
The lotus fabric must be weaved within 24 hours to
prevent the detoriation of fibre.
11. BLENDING WITH OTHER FIBRES:
Can mix with 100% silk.
Blending of 15% lotus fibre and 85% Cotton can
be used for upholstry and draperies.
BRANDS USING LOTUS FIBRE:
Kyar chi(scarf and sacred fabric)
Italian Fashion Company- Lora Piana
12. LORA PIANA TRADEMARKED A NEW KIND OF FABRIC
MADE FROM LOTUS FLOWER FIBER.
Each jacket will cost roughly EUR 4,000 (about $5,600).