The one-of-a-kind Soie Filee II pillow, meaning “spun silk”, was handwoven on a traditional Cambodian floor loom using handspun natural dyed silk. The center section is made up of colorful Phulkari embroidery from Pakistan with reflective mirror work.   Indian sari covered beads embellish this pillow.  This exceptional and very elegant pillow is an heirloom collectible and will grace any room where it is placed. It is a must to read  The Story to learn more about why this is such an amazing pillow.

DETAILS:  

• 18” x 18”

• Front - silk and cotton

• Back - linen, in amber

• Zipper closure

• Down duck feather pillow insert

• Fabric origins:  Cambodia, Pakistan

THE STORY:

The silk industry was introduced to Cambodia in the thirteenth century and has survived the country’s political and civil unrest.  Most recently, and for three decades, the Khmer Rouge regime not only destroyed mulberry plantations, but also the traditional process of sericulture and knowledge transferred from mother to daughter.  Presently, with the help of international foundations and non-profit organizations, silk production and trained skilled weavers are benefiting from the resurgence of sericulture.

Villageworks Cambodia, located in Phnom Penh, is a fair trade organization which believes in creating an environment where marginalized people discover their passion, dignity and self-sufficiency to unleash their full potential.  They support vulnerable and marginalized groups by creating economic opportunities. They train and provide skills to home-based workers in remote parts of rural Cambodia and disabled people in Phnom Penh, with the aim of promoting sustainable livelihoods.  I have had the pleasure of visiting Villageworks three times and have been so impressed to see their advances in silk production.  SERRV also gave Villageworks a grant to start a small mulberry plantation in rural Baray.

The handwoven silk used in this pillow was woven on a traditional two harness Cambodian loom.  The colors in the fabric are all natural dyes.  I believe a natural dye expert from Japan came to Villageworks and conduct a comprehensive workshop in making natural dyes.  The warp and weft are a variety of natural dye stripes which give the fabric a distinctive checkerboard look and the handspun characteristics of the silk create a beautiful texture to the fabric.

The center section of the pillow is an exceptional and contemporary Phulkari embroidery with reflective mirror work from Pakistan.  I have always appreciated the incredible embroidery of Pakistan and have tried several times to travel to the country, but due to several reasons such as travel alerts by the U.S. government, made it impossible for me to visit. Fortunately, through my work with the fair trade organization, SERRV International, I was able to have embroidered fabric sent to me. The piece in this pillow is beautiful. The Pakistan Phulkari embroidery technique is from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent and literally means “flower work”. At one time, “Phulkari” was also the word for embroidery. This piece is rich in colors of oranges and purple, with accents of green and compliments the handwoven silk so beautifully.

The pillow is embellished recycled sari buttons from India.