Tabletop handloom wizardry

Sri Lanka has always proved that the country is ready to produce sustainable and eco-friendly handloom textile products preserving its own identity. Asserting that those skilled hands still create value added products, Vajira Peiris, an individual who is engaging in the handloom industry introduced a tabletop loom which can be used by any person.

Introducing the newest product, she says that it would open the avenues for anyone to start a home business or go for a small scale commercial entity. Peiris and the team introduced their tabletop loom recently in Colombo and had two sessions of demonstrations on how it can be used and how to create a fabric that is handloom.

Explaining the product, Peiris who is an entrepreneur seeking creative engineering solutions to the craft industry said that the machine can be used at a factory, workshop, university, school, or even at a normal residence.

She also said that the machine can weave cushion covers, scarfs, tablecloths, table mats, coasters, bed linen and accessories, kids’ clothing, handloom for toys and many other items.

Peiris added that it has many specialties, such as the ability of designing colors as one wishes. “It is a fully functioning table loom and at the same time it is also foldable, Peiris said.

Vajra Peiris is also a fashion and textile designer and trained weaver herself and has been a lecturer at Nottingham-Trent University in the United Kingdom for a period of more than seven years.

She added that her team will further engage in developing innovative weaving looms for different sectors of the weaving industry after many years of research. “Our intention while upgrading the craft and textile industry in Sri Lanka is to provide manufacturing solutions to the industry while preserving the traditional handy craft values. We are here to support and uplift this industry in terms of design, manufacture, and value addition for the local and export markets,” she said.