the Silk Legend....
According to Cambodian Legend, the art of silk weaving started when a doctor returned home to find his wife spinning out silk threads from her mouth.
Astonished by what he saw, he stayed to watch her as she wove the silk threads into mosquito netting. When his wife saw that her secret was detected, she fled and killed herself.
She was reborn a silkworm and multiplied. The doctor killed himself in despair and was reborn a mosquito.
This is the reason silkworm’s must always be protected from mosquitos with netting when they are fed the leaves of mulberry bushes.
Silk Weaving History...
In days gone by you could identify the silk weaving areas of Cambodia by the distinctive Mulberry trees present in the village. These trees provided food for the silkworms, from which the silk was cultivated.
Today, Tabitha weavers must import silk thread from Vietnam and China. The raising of mulberry trees and the art of silk cultivation have almost been lost. However, the old traditions of dyeing and weaving silk have survived the test of time.
Tabitha supports silk weavers by buying the finished bolts of silk. The Tabitha organisation buys the silk directly from the local producers, guaranteeing them not only a fair price for their silk, but also a regular income.
Tabitha employs Cambodians from displaced and squatter communities in and around Phnom Penh and Siem Reap who sew and manufacture a range of silk craft and homewares products.
This project is sustained through revolving funds achieved through Silk Fair and on-line sales.