Fire grass linen by Lisu ethnic minority in Southwestern China 傈僳族火草麻布的制作过程

“The Lisu people are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group who inhabit mountainous regions of Myanmar, southwest China, Thailand, and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. About 730,000 Lisu in China live primarily in western and northwestern Yunnan province, primarily in the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Lijiang, Baoshan, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and Dehong Day and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.

Fire grass linen is an important material for Lisu people, and the weaving technique is very special.

This video document the process of making fire grass linen from picking the fire grass leaves to finishing in costume, which shows the complicated and unique skill of this beautiful cultural handcraft.

Weaving the fire grass linen

Picking fire grass leaves in the local mountain

Washing the fire grass leaves in the river

Teaching the young generation how to make fire grass yarn out of the fire grass leaves

Gu Yuju shows how to prepare the twine for weaving

Hitomozashi double diamond weave stitch

Do you know that you can build more interesting stitch base on ten cross Jijuzashi stitch?

Here is a video showing what you can do with your ten cross stitch. There is also a kit in the online shop if you want to give a try - click here for the green hitomozashi kit.

Isolation crafts - Coin clamping dye

Here is another simple technique that you can use with your home dye vat. You only need to have some coins and pegs at home, then you are ready to go. Watch the video and starting your creation!

Isolation crafts - Simple folding and binding technique with avocado dye

Once you made your own natural avocado dye vat from last video, then you can use some simple folding and binding technique from Shibori to create some interesting pattern for your fabric. Here is a quick tutorial for one of the techniques.

Isolation crafts - Make your natural avocado dye at home

I want to share some home crafts to help people stuck at home during this weird time, and kitchen waste dye is the first coming into my mind. Avocado dye is really popular recently, and I will share with you guys about how to make it at your own home! There is also a video at the end of the article for you to follow.

Tools you need:

• Stainless steel pot

• Sieve

• Wooden spoon

• Baking soda

• Gentle laundry detergent

• Natural fabric

As avocado dye is natural dye, so you can only dye natural fabric as well, such as cotton, silk, wool and linen etc. You can start collecting your avocado skins and pits after a nice meal, and put in the freezer to prevent from rot. You need to collect at least 6 avocados to start your dyeing process, however, the more the better!

Frozen avocado skins and pits

Once you are happy about your avocado collection, take them out the freezer and prepare a big stainless steel pot for the boiling stage. Cover all your avocado skins and pits with cold water in the pot, and bring it to boil and simmer for an hour. Use you wooden spoon stir occasionally to make sure that avocado skins are not stick at the bottom. You can boil skins and pits separately for two dye vats as they do create slightly different shade of pink, or you can boil them together like I did.

Boiling avocado skins and pits in the pot

While your dye is brewing, you need to scour your fabric in hot water and 2-3 teaspoons baking soda and mix them well by using your wooden spoon. Leave it for at least half hour, or you can scour your fabric a night before your dyeing.

Once your dye is ready, then sift avocado skins and pits out from the pot. Then you can add all your pre-washed fabric in to the avocado dye pot. Make sure all your cloth is immersed in the dye evenly and leave them in the dye for at least for 4 hours or overnight.

Immerse your cloth in the avocado dye vat

After finishing dye your cloth and reach the colour you like, then squeeze the dye out and wash your fabric under the tap to wash off any excess dye. Also, give them a quick hand wash with some gentle laundry detergent after washing under the tap.

I used some simple stitch resist shibori techniques and bounding techniques to create some patterns on my fabric, which I will share some basic ones later this week. So just air dry your cloth and then you are ready to make them into something for your house!

MEET CULTURE | Chinese ethnic minorities' traditional handcrafts in Dali, Yunnan, China.

I went back to my hometown in Southwestern China, called Dali in Yunnan province. I documented local artisans’ work and daily life, and interviewed different craftsmen about their opinions of today’s heritage cultural handcrafts. Now, I want to share this beautiful journey with you.

This is the first short editing version of this journey. There will be more detailed videos release in the future about Chinese ethnic minorities’ cultural crafts. Wish you can share this beautiful but vanishing handcrafts with your friends, and support crafts work made by the underrepresented Chinese ethnic minorities through YI CRAFTS in London. (You can purchase authentic handcrafts products handmade by Chinese ethnic minorities artisans in YI CRAFTS shop now!)

Enjoy this vide, and hope see you soon in my workshop or my market stall in 93 Feet East Brick Lane and Old Spitalfields Market. (More info please see workshop and event page)

Bai - Southwestern Chinese ethnic minority

The Bai are a highly visible minority group of roughly two million living primarily in and around Yunnan’s famous Dali region. The name “Bai” means white, a color which the Bai associate with dignity and high social status and one which describes the sheepskin clothing they wore centuries ago.

 The Bai are blessed with fertile land, having historically been centered around Erhai Lake and the foot of the Blue Mountain in Yunnan Province. Because of the accessibility and desirability of their homeland, the Bai have long had interactions with other ethnic groups, most notably the Han.

Today, roughly 80% of Bai still live in their ancestral homeland, which has since been termed Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.

Drinking tea is essential for a traditional Bai's way of life. One of the most important traditions and one you will might be asked to participate in if you visit the Bai around the Dali area is the sandao tea ceremony (三道茶). It is called that because the word sandao means "tea poured three times" or more literally: "three courses of tea."

Your host will pour the tea into your cup three times. You may hear these words used: 'yiku, ertian, sanhuiwei' 一苦二甜三回味 (The first is bitter, the second is sweet, and the third brings the "reflection" (aftertaste).) The third cup has a burning or stimulating effect that stays with people as they go because they add cassia, Sichuan pepper, and ginger.

Introducing traditional Southwestern Chinese Tea Ceremony

 origin lies in China over 2500 years ago. The ceremony has developed through the centuries and has come to reflect the philosophical and religious sensibilities of China’s history, with its conscious, repeated motions and peaceful surroundings reflecting principles of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. 

The theatrical, performance-like nature of the tea ceremony means it is well suited to small intimate audiences and can be led by one experienced ‘performer’. While sharing its origins with Japan’s tea ceremonies, China’s tea ceremonies maintain their distinctiveness; for example, in Japan traditionally green tea is consumed, whereas the traditional tea ceremonies of Yunnan, China, use ‘black’ tea.

Providing a relaxing, inspiring – and of course fun – environment for cultural sharing and networking, the tea ceremony experience will be offered in cafés, restaurants and other venues across London. Private events, such as on-site corporate events or personal celebrations at home, will also be catered to.

The ceremony offers an easily accessible new experience for Londoners, and a great opportunity to take care of one’s mental wellbeing, releasing stress and anxiety.

The tea ceremony experience will be sold both in a package with the Chinese ethnic minorities’ crafts workshop (below) and as a standalone.

Tips for Chinese Tea Ceremony

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01 : By preparing and drinking tea, the tea masters show their personal thoughts and spiritual world.

02 : Chinese tea ceremony requires peace and pureness.

03 : “The way of tea’, Chinese tea ceremony is not only to drink tea but also to learn and understand the traditional Chinese culture.

04 : From the way you practice tea ceremony, you show us what kind of person you are, your manners, personality, aesthetic view point, and even inner world.