MOST Malaysians, especially adults, know what is songket. Songket is a kind of hand-woven fabric and has an elaborate pattern of gold or silver thread. Songket songs mean to pull or pull threads of cloth or weave gold and silver threads.

Although it was formerly woven for use in castles, songket became a formal dress at a ceremony which required guests to wear Malay clothes that were matched with songket, brackets or songket kebaya. It is now a selection of fashion designers who make songket as the basis for accessory products such as handbags, wallets and cushion covers, tablecloths and many other home-made items.

Dr. Ngo is the Deputy Dean and senior lecturer at Universiti Sarawak Malaysia’s Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts (UNIMAS). She said, “There are also efforts to make weaving innovation or ‘Kei‘ (also known as ‘cake’) which are mostly old  (this is because) weaving work using weavers to tighten weave yarns to finish as songket cloth. If not made Carefully, the yarn can be cut and if it does not resume properly, the fabric produced will be easily damaged and torn, “explains seniors and art lovers, who are only 40 years old. pay attention to the brand of yarn used.

The yarn used should be dyed color according to the current flavor, and today it is a synthetic dye. The fiber resistance factor of yarn during the weaving process, color after dyed and variation of yarn type is marketed among the criteria weighed to produce quality weave songket.”I’m also involved with the R & D at Tuanku Nur Zahirah Foundation, where we use lurex made from Europe, this thread is used by renowned designers including Giorgio Armani,” she said.

Source: www.mstar.com.my, Thursday, 21 October 2010