From Silkworm to Saree: How an Eri Silk Saree Is Made

When you wear an Eri silk saree, you're seeing the final stage of a journey that began months earlier.

Long before the yarn is spun or the loom is prepared, the process starts with tiny silkworm eggs in villages across Assam.

Here's how an Eri silk saree comes to life.

1. Rearing the Silkworms

The journey begins with Eri silkworm eggs, which are typically purchased from government "seed" banks.

The worms are raised on castor leaves, their natural food source. Across many villages in Assam, women rear these silkworms alongside farming and household work, creating an additional source of income for their families.

From egg to cocoon takes around 45 days.

2. The Ahimsa Silk Cocoon

Unlike conventional silk, Eri is known as Ahimsa Silk or Peace Silk.

The moth is allowed to emerge naturally from the cocoon before the fibre is processed.

Only after the moth has left is the empty cocoon collected for spinning.

It's this process that gives Eri silk its distinctive matte texture and slightly wool-like feel.

3. From Village to Weaver

Once enough cocoons have been collected, they're usually sold in small batches to local aggregators.

Many weaving groups and artisan collectives purchase cocoons together, allowing them to negotiate better prices before dividing the fibre among individual weavers.

It's a system built on cooperation rather than scale.

4. Preparing the Fibre

The empty cocoons are boiled, washed and cleaned before the fibre can be spun.

One of my favourite sights during visits to Assam is seeing the freshly washed cocoons laid out to dry on the mud walls of village homes.

It's a simple, everyday scene that reminds you how closely textile making is connected to village life.

Only once they're completely dry can spinning begin.

5. Spinning the Yarn

The dried fibre is spun into yarn.

The quality of this yarn influences everything that follows—the strength of the weave, the drape of the saree and the way the fabric feels after years of wear.

6. Dyeing

The yarn is then dyed before weaving.

For many of our pieces, we work with natural dyes.

Turmeric gives warm yellows.

Indigo creates deep blues.

Sapanwood produces rich reds.

Tea leaves create soft browns.

Onion skins produce gentle greens.

Each batch is dyed separately, and factors like water, weather and drying conditions mean no two batches are ever completely identical.

7. Drying the Yarn

After dyeing, the yarn is dried naturally before being prepared for weaving.

This stage cannot be rushed. Proper drying helps the colour settle evenly and prepares the yarn for the loom.

8. Preparing the Loom

Before weaving begins, every thread must be measured, arranged and set onto the loom.

This careful preparation often takes many hours before a single line of fabric is woven.

9. Weaving

Only now does the saree begin to take shape.

Working by hand, the weaver builds the fabric one pass of the shuttle at a time.

Depending on the design, weaving alone can take several days.

10. Quality Checks and the Journey to Arras

Our work doesn't end when the saree comes off the loom.

We visit our weaving partners every few months and stay in regular contact throughout the year, discussing colours, new designs, production timelines and quality over the phone.

Once the sarees are ready, they're carefully packed and couriered from rural Assam to our studio in Delhi.

There, each piece is photographed, quality checked once again, packed and prepared before making its way to its new home.

More Than a Saree

Every Eri silk saree represents months of work.

It begins with women rearing silkworms in village homes, passes through the hands of spinners, dyers and weavers, and finally reaches us after a journey across the country.

When people ask why handwoven textiles are different, this is the answer.

Not because they're handmade.

But because every stage depends on people, patience and time.

Watch a short video on the process here.