INABEL WEAVING OF ILOCOS

  The inabel is one of the many prides of the Ilocos region in the Philippines. "ABEL" is the Ilocano word for weave, and "INABEL"  can be interpreted to mean any kind of woven fabric. In the world of weaving  however, inabel is particularly used to  refer to textile that is distinctly Ilocano in origin. We are proud to offer these inabel  wovens from Laoag weavers in Ilocos. Inabel fabric is made of cotton and may  be plain or patterned. The abel cloth is  well known and much loved for its soft- ness,beautiful designs, and strenght. Ilocos weavers use hardwood pedal looms, employing different design techniques. The binakul pattern, a dizzying patterns, is me- ant to word off and distract evil spirits, pr- otecting the weaver. Other patterns include the multi-heddle design technique,the pini- lian or brocade weave, the suk-suk or dis- continuous supplementary weft technique, and the ikat tie-dye technique. Each provide  has its own distinct design...