Answer:
T'nalak (also spelled tinalak), is a weaving tradition of the T'boli people of South Cotabato, Philippines.[1] T'nalak cloth is woven exclusively by women who have received the designs for the weave in their dreams, which they believe are a gift from Fu Dalu, the T'boli Goddess of abacá.[1]
The rest of the community, including the men, are able to participate in the production of T'nalak by carefully selecting, stripping, and sun-drying the abacá fibers to be used.[1][2] Once the fibers have been prepared, they are dyed using the dye-resist technique called "ikat", based on the pattern dreamt by the weaver; the woman gifted by Fu Dalu with the design then weaves the cloth using a backstrap loom.[1][2]
The rest of the community, including the men, are able to participate in the production of T'nalak by carefully selecting, stripping, and sun-drying the abacá fibers to be used.[1][2] Once the fibers have been prepared, they are dyed using the dye-resist technique called "ikat", based on the pattern dreamt by the weaver; the woman gifted by Fu Dalu with the design then weaves the cloth using a backstrap loom.[1][2]The fact that the designs are derived from the dreams of the weavers means that traditional t'nalak patterns cannot be mass-produced.[3] Because the patterns are based on dreams, the weavers of t'nalak are popularly referred to as dreamweavers.[4]
