1. Design Making: The most essential part of the weaving process is innovating a design, picking up a pattern and a fabric. This is the foremost step as on the basis of this step we choose the thread. Design making involves a couple of steps. First the design is sketched on a piece of paper. Then the Nakshaband works out the design on a graph sheet. Ultimately comes the step where the design ishand punched on a cardboard stencil which is termed as ”Naksha Patta” This Naksha Patta is then used on the handloom in order to trace the design. This entire process requires a minimum of 10 to 15 days on an average.
2. Opening of the Yarn: Once the design is finalised, procurement of the raw materials becomes a priority. The process begins with the selection of silk and zari yarn as per the requirement of the design. The cost of raw materials varies on the basis of design, technique and the pattern which is all hand-picked .
3. Dyeing: The art of dyeing is an essential part of the weaving process. It provides colour to the yarn. Before the actual process of dyeing begins, the yarns are put in boiling soap water in order to give the yarn a shiny and smooth texture. Following this the yarn is then bleached and dyed. We aim at using Eco-Friendly dyes.
4. Reeling: Reeling involves preparing of the yarn by loosely tying it in bundles. The yarn is put into the reeling machine. The yarn is reeled separately for tana (warp) and bana (weft). The yarn for bana is rolled on a cylindrical structure called “nari barana”. The tana yarn is rolled on a “dharki”.
5. Weaving: Weaving is a highly labour intensive process. Our skilled weavers make use of pit looms to create marvelling pieces of art. Naksha Patta are used in the handloom to transfer the design to the fabric. In the weaving process two distinct sets of yarns are interlaced at right angles to each other. The lengthwise yarns are called the warp yarn and the widthwise yarns are called the weft yarn. The weft yarn is placed in a shuttle. The weavers throw the shuttle side by side and thus the warp and the weft is interwoven . The weavers make use of various colours to create intricate details that are characteristic of the Banarasi saree.
6. Finishing: Once the weaving process is over the sarees undergo the final step of finishing. Finishing involves of manually cutting of the tiny threads and polishing of the saree. The sarees are then folded and packed.