MODIFICATION OF HAND-WOVEN EBIRA FABRIC FOR CONTEMPORARY USE

Abstract

Weaving is a major fabric construction method second to knitting. Weaving is a major craft in many communities in Nigeria and other African countries. It serves as a source of income for many, both literates and the uneducated. This study focused on the modification of traditional Ebira hand-woven fabrics in such a way that the modified fabrics are made lighter than that of the old traditional Ebira fabrics in order to make them suitable for use with modern day garment styles. The specific objectives of the study were to: appraise the traditional hand-woven fabric of Ebira people as compared to other locally woven fabrics in Kogi state; modify the Ebira hand-woven fabric to make it homely for tropical regional use; produce design styles that can make the newly modified hand-woven fabric attractive to contemtorary users; and evaluate the acceptability of garments made with the modified contemporary Ebira hand-woven fabric by youth in selected Kogi state tertiary institutions. Mixed method research design was used in adopting a combination of survey research design and practice-led research design was adopted for the research. Objective one and four were addressed quantitatively using questionnaires while objective two and three were addressed practically in a textile design studio. Data collected were analyzed using mean, frequency and percentage for descriptive analysis using SPSS. The result from the study revealed Ebira woven fabrics are unique compared to other traditional woven fabrics in Kogi state in terms of colour and design but relatively the same in texture. The study also revealed that modified Ebira woven fabrics are suitable for general use. The study recommends the need to encourage the production of light-weight woven fabrics by reducing the number of plies to 2 by 4 instead of the usual multiple plies of 2 by 6 or 2 by 8. The research recommends that weavers should produce woven fabrics of different textures to meet the needs of different categories of users.