A quiet guide to how yamamayu textiles begin and become cloth.
At yamamayu, cloth begins with the lives of silkworms, the softness of mawata, the work of spinning, dyeing, and weaving, and the quiet rhythm of the studio.
1. Where the Material Begins
Domestic silkworms and tensan. Two different lives, two different beginnings of silk.
Mawata, opened softly from the cocoon, is also one of the essential entrances to yamamayu cloth.
The first step is to know the silkworms, and the soft silk called mawata that opens from the cocoon.
2. From Cocoon to Thread
Mawata begins as a soft, airy layer of silk.
Through softening, opening, and hand-spinning, it slowly becomes thread.
Mawata becomes thread through quiet stages: softening, opening, and spinning by hand.
3. Color and Weaving
Thread receives color, then passes through weaving before it becomes cloth.
Dyeing and weaving both shape the final presence of the textile.
Color and structure are not separate from the textile. They are part of how it breathes, reflects light, and lives in the hand.
4. Reading Further
Once you know the material and the process, the studio, the cycle, and the daily making begin to deepen what you see in the cloth.
These pages continue beyond process, into care, memory, and the life of the textile.
See the Works in Person
After learning about the materials and processes, you can encounter the textiles in person through our exhibitions.