The story of a dhoti or saree begins in the factories of Coimbatore or Tirupur, where harvested cotton is made into yarn.

Curing the Yarn: The yarn is soaked in water for ten days to allow it to rot. After this period, it is manually stamped to remove impurities and chemicals.

Boiling the Yarn: Next, the yarn is cooked at 200 degrees Celsius for 24 hours, after which it is washed again. The yarn is then dyed and oxidized to achieve the desired colors. It is dried in the shade for one day, followed by three days in sunlight. The dyed yarn is washed multiple times to prevent fading or bleeding later.

Hand rolling the warp involves winding threads using a warp roller. This hand-operated roller can roll up to approximately 150 meters of thread at a time. In each set, 80 ends are divided into different sections of the end fabric and wound onto the drum until around 6,000 threads are reached.

Street Wrapping the Yarn: Each thread is removed and dried in the sun between 4:00 AM and 8:30 AM. The threads are stretched out and tied in an open field during this time. A starch coating is applied using a mixture of rice and flour, spread evenly on the threads with a cloth. Once the threads are dry, oil is applied, and impurities are brushed away using a coconut fiber brush, which gives the threads a silky texture. Finally, the threads are rolled up and fixed onto a loom for weaving.

There is no use of electricity, motors, gears, or mechanization. It is a very traditional craft using hands and a few wooden tools.

Handloom weaving involves several precise steps. The threads are sectioned by operating pedals with the legs. One hand passes the shuttle for the weft while the other tightens the weave. The weaver must constantly monitor the threads to ensure no snapping, requiring careful attention. Additionally, the weaver must keep track of the number of threads used to create borders and motifs, making this a highly mindful process.

Weaving more than 4 meters of fabric per day is challenging. The finished fabric is not subjected to ironing or waxing; instead, it is crisply folded by hand before being sent to customers. With each wash, the fabric becomes finer.