Xinjiang keeps the traditional way of making Atlas silk

Coloring the silk: To color the silk threads, tie-dyed method is used here. It means plastic bags are used to bundle the threads up before coloring each part. [Photo by Bi Nan/chinadaily.com.cn]

Based on the design requirement, different patterns are made by staining lightly or deeply. Different colors are made by bundling up different parts each time and dipping into different colored dyestuffs. The traditional Atlas silk has four basic shades: black, red, yellow and multi-color.

Minerals like alum, indigo and natural plant extracts like walnut skin, jujube skin, and tamarisk are used to make dyestuffs.