PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BY USING SELECTED MINOR FIBRES THROUGH WEAVING

The present study entitled "Product development by using selected minor fibres through weaving" was carried out in Mansa district. An interview schedule was prepared for collecting data from forty respondents. The results of investigation revealed that majority of the respondents belonged to 25-50 years of age who were illiterate, they belonged to joint families and had a monthly income between Rs.2500-5000. Majority (97.5 percent) of the respondents used waste cotton as minor fibre because it is easily available in the open market. Most of the respondent wove durries in traditional designs by using floral motifs. They created textures using two-types of fibre. Majority used natural fibre for the background and two colours for the motifs. Lattice was the most preferred technique (97 percent) to finish the raw edges. Durrie was the most time consuming article and four craft persons took four days and on each day they wove for four hours to complete a durrie. Out of all the articles the craft persons earned maximum profit from sitter (peedhi). The major problem faced by the respondents were lack of financial assistance and lack of demand for product. Forty four samples were created using minor fibres out of which ten most preferred samples were selected by each judge. Texture made from undyed hemp using twill weave (3/1) was given first rank. Later ten articles were prepared which included bag, purse, tray, belt, slippers, coaster plates, newspaper holder, fan (pakhhi), sitter (peedhi) and file cover. On the basis of fibre suitability, bag and file cover were ranked first by the craft persons and the consumers, respectively. According to the design coaster plates were ranked first both by the craft persons and the consumers. On the basis of colour combinations slippers and coaster plates ranked first by the craft persons and the consumers, respectively. Coaster plates were ranked first both by the craft persons and the consumers according to the overall impact. According to the utility bag and file cover were ranked first by the craft person and the consumers, respectively. Majority of the craft person (57.5 percent) and the consumers (72.5 percent) reported that the quoted price were suitable. Thirty to forty percent can me earned by making innovating articles using minor fibres through weaving.