Development of Woven Fabric Products from Naturally Dyed Banana Fibers in Songkhla Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to: 1) develop a production process of naturally dyed banana fibers, 2) develop the weaving process of naturally dyed banana fibers, 3) develop prototypes of woven fabrics made from naturally dyed banana fibers, and 4) study the satisfaction of consumers towards the prototypes of woven fabrics made from naturally dyed banana fibers. This research was a participatory action research (PAR). The purposive selection sample group included 10 members of Ban Don Banana Rope Weaving Handicraft Group, Ku Tao Sub-district, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, 10 members of Ban Long Mut Weaving Community Enterprise, Lamplai Sub-district, Thepha District, Songkhla Province, and 50 consumers. The data were collected by recording and satisfaction assessment forms. The research statistics included frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation. The research results were as follows. 1. The production process of naturally dyed banana fibers consisted of the following steps: 1) selecting perfect banana trees, 2) peeling the banana sheath, 3) scraping the inner white pulp of the banana sheath, 4) shredding it into fibers, 5) washing the oiliness and drying the fibers, 6) preparing natural dyes, 7) dyeing naturally, 8) using dyeing agents or color activators, and 9) washing the naturally dyed banana fibers and hanging them in the shade until dry. 2. The weaving process from naturally dyed banana fibers consisted of the following steps: 1) preparing looms, 2) preparing the warp line with cotton threads, and 3) weaving textiles from naturally dyed banana fibers using naturally dyed banana fibers as wefts and cotton as warp lines and sprinkling with water to make them fibers soft and easy to weave. 3. The results of the development of a prototype woven fabric product from naturally dyed banana fibers combined with leather materials were as follows. The products included: 1) a notebook cover, 2) a shoulder bag, 3) a women's cross-body bag, 4) a men's cross-body bag, and 5) a shoulder bag for carrying a mobile phone 4. The consumers reported their satisfaction towards the prototype of the woven fabrics made from naturally dyed banana fibers in overall at a high level (= 4.49, S.D. =0.58).