| Q : Are all your products hand woven
and made with natural materials? |
A :
Almost all are hand woven, but a very small portion uses machine
woven cloth. The dyes and mordant use only natural substances,
and the buttons are made from materials which can return to
nature, such as shells, wood, and cloth.
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| Q : What kinds of materials are used
as dyes? |
A :
Mostly indigo, the fruit of ebony trees, rosewood bark, leaves of mango
trees, and other materials that are easy to find in Northeastern Thailand.
To make deep colors, sometimes cloth is repeatedly dipped in dye and dried
up to 80 - 100 times. To make bright reds and pink, secretions from scale
insects (lac dye) are used, which can also be used for food coloring.
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| Q : Why do you insist upon using
natural dyes? |
A :
It is said that natural dyes originated when ancient peoples discovered
that fibers could be stained by extracts from plants they used for medicinal
purposes. It is also said that the origin of the Japanese word for "dosage,"
which contains the Chinese character for "clothing," comes from
the practice of wrapping cloth that had been soaked in medicinal plants
around affected areas in order to heal ailments and diseases. Natural dyes
are gentle to both the body and to the natural environment.
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| Q : Where can one buy Usaato products? |
A :A retailer
for Usaato Japan is located at "Usaato shop" in Saitama
There are also exhibitions throughout the country where purchases
can be made. Please contact Usaato Japan (info@usaato.com)
for details regarding exhibitions.
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