Kente Cloth Making in Ghana

Kente cloth is made by a weaving process.  A few of us Sr. missionaries had a Saturday outing a few weeks ago.  The whole process was truly amazing to see!!  The owner of this little place (the yard is about 1 acre) is Bob and he keeps a staff of 16 people busy but will hire up to 40 weavers (independents) who make cloth patterns at their own place when he has a big order.

Linda checking out some of the cloth made in this yard.  But it's the process that is amazing.

Bob buys his material from China.  There, they make thread from cotton and put it on huge bolts, which Bob buys.  Here, Bob's brother and partner spins the thread onto small spools for his weavers.

This is one of Bob's weavers.  He is using hands and feet to weave the pattern.  I am trying to load a short video to demonstrate the talent these guys have developed.  Bob says each weaver develops his own style and sticks to similar patterns they have learned.

Here Bob is giving all of us Kente weaving 101 lecture around a table stacked with his product.

Weaver sewing his pattern.  Note the red and white wooden threaders he slides between the strands at blinding speeds.  You can see his pattern and in his hand you can't see he holds other threaders with the other colors.

Linda is "into" Bob's explanation.

I bought this piece of fabric from Bob and I will have 2 ties made from it.  Keep an eye out for it in all the fashion shops!!




This is the weaver that made the fabric I bought.  He is weaving more of the same fabric when I took this pic.  And Bob promised me I had the one and only piece of this design!!

20 second video showing weaver at work.