Designboom has a fascinating pictorial of the traditional silk making process of the craftspeople in a small village in north-east Tailand. Starting with silk worms, which aren't actually worms, and ending with luscious fabric, the photos illustrate the proceedure in 6 steps.
Step 1: Raising silkworms & harvesting cocoons.
:format(jpeg)/http://assets.curbly.com/photos/0000/0009/5565/1_01.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/http://assets.curbly.com/photos/0000/0009/5594/2_4.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/http://assets.curbly.com/photos/0000/0009/5616/3_05.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/http://assets.curbly.com/photos/0000/0009/5630/4_8.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/http://assets.curbly.com/photos/0000/0009/5660/5_02.jpg)
Step 6: Ikat (binding).
...:format(jpeg)/http://assets.curbly.com/photos/0000/0002/1631/sticker_large.jpg)
I have no formal training in the visual arts, but I’ve been determined to learn to do photo silkscreen prints since I learned about the process in high school. Unfortunately, a lot of the ‘how-to’ literature scares one to thinking one needs a vacuum-press table, a complex exposure system inside a formal dark room, enormous wash basins, and pro-grade halftone filters, etc, etc, etc…
As it turns out, one does not. Using a pre-made and readily...