INABEL WEAVING OF ILOCOS —
Tell the world what you’re made of
Abel” is an Ilocano word which means weave, and “inabel”, which literally means woven.
The inabel is considered one of the numerous pride of the Ilocanos. Inabel is made out of cotton and is woven with the use of the ancient handlooms, with the application of the techniques that were handed down through generations. Ilocanos made it possible to create a masterpiece. The art of inabel was practised by many weavers residing in the Northern provinces, but only two places stood out, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Many products can be produced by the inabel fabric, namely blankets, pillowcase, shawls, sweaters and tablemats. The usual products that are produced are the plain weaves, which are used for daily household chores, such as towels, placemats and dress material. In Ilocos, inabel fabrics are commonly used material in the house, the residents used it as their curtains, towels, bags and even mosquito nets.
The inabel fabric and the creator of it both establishes a connection. The fabric carries along with its story of emergence, it represents the cultures identity and history. The inabel fabric has been offered in all crucial moments of an individual’s existence, it is presented as a gift during a person’s birth, marriage and death.
Weaving has been the main source of income for the majority of the women in the region. As our generation continues to move towards the industrialized path, the numbers of weavers in the region are also continuously dropping. This old craft is slowly getting buried by the popularity of modern technology. The government in Ilocos Norte has been showing efforts in keeping the tradition of inabel alive, they had been offering a course about studying basic weaving since the year 2018.
The traditional process of abel cloth begins in preparing the cotton, which includes picking cotton balls, removing the seeds, pounding, twisting with the use of the spindle, and winding the cotton yarn into the skeiner. They then make the skeines yard glossy by brushing it before it is wound to a bamboo spool. The preparation of the loom takes places after the yarn is ready. The warping reel will be used in winding the spool yarn and wounding the warp yarn will be executed in the warp beam rod. The next step is inserting the yarn through the eye of the heddle using a weaving hook. After that, the weavers tie the heddles behind the beater in order for the warp yarn to be inserted through the spaces of the reed and the loom. After going through this intricate process, agabel weaving can start. The process of making the products is very time consuming and labour-intensive, but it is worth it because the outcomes are breathtaking.
Ancient traditions not only teaches us good and distinctive techniques but it also installed our minds with morals lessons. The ancient stories help us to take grasp of the past’s situations and the origins of their techniques. Handmade and local products should be given more appreciation and imporance as well as skilled weavers. Inabel is one of the few living treasures in Ilocos, and they deserve to be praised and known by many people. Every detail in the product shows how much effort was exerted in creating this. Let us not bury the traditions passed down by our ancestors, for it brings life and meaning to our own culture
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