Traditional Dress and Cloth Making - Hmong Hill Tribe, Northern Thailand

Spinning and traditional clothing

Ironing

We travelled north from Chiang Mai in Thailand up into the hills, to a Hmong Hill Tribe village. The gracious woman in the picture was enthused to show us traditional ways of spinning, ironing and other aspects of cloth making. Her workspace, which was also her home, was a darkened wooden hut with a dirt floor and a burning hearth in the middle. Some of the cloth was made from hemp, and cannabis plants grew nearby. Traditional Hmong dresses and costume were displayed on the outside walls of the hut.  We purchased from our tiny, skilled hostess, a band of beautiful batik blue and white cloth, much like the middle band in the blue and pink skirt in the picture above. As we left, we gave a donation, as there was no fee charged. We knew we had observed crafting skills, and a way of life, that most likely would not endure.  

Return to Bangkok.