Inabel Weaving of Ilocos

A Filipino women weaves in her manufacturing plant, acquiring a long convention that might be undermined by the decay of help for neighborhood weaving enterprises in the Ilocos area of the Phillipines.

The number of weavers and pocket communities that uphold the tradition of weaving get smaller and smaller and consequently, more women are losing their source of livelihood. As it stands, there are less than 10 master weavers left in the country. Given the nature of handcrafted goods, the weavers of the Philippines cannot produce items at the speed and price of mass market good.
The inabel is one of the many prides of the Ilocos region in the Philippines. “Abel” is the Ilocano word for weave, and “inabel” can be interpreted to mean any kind of woven fabric. In the world of weaving however, inabel is particularly used to refer to textile that is distinctly Ilocano in origin. We are proud to offer these inabel wovens from Laoag weavers in Ilocos.

The traditional process of weaving abel cloth begins with preparing the cotton, from picking cotton balls, removing seeds, pounding or beating, twisting using a spindle, and winding the cotton yarn into the skeiner. The skeined yarn is then brushed to make it glossy and durable before it is wound to a bamboo spool.Inabel fabric is made of cotton and may be plain or patterned. The abel cloth is well knownfor its softness, beautiful designs, and strength. Ilocos weavers use hardwood pedal looms, employing different design techniques.y They also use diferent patterns. Popular patterns include cat's paws, fans, stars, and windows.