Pina

How is Pina fabric made.

Pina literally comes from the Spanish language meaning ‘Pineapple.’ It is made by hand weaving leaves from the Pineapple tree and is manufactured in the Philippines.

Pina manufacture

Pina fabric is from the leaf of the Pineapple tree which means that the leaves must be harvested first. Once they have been harvested the fibre is pulled or split away from the rest of the leaf. Most of these fibres are long and quite stiff. Each of these fibres has to be hand knotted and scraped away before it can be used.

After the fibres have been extracted they are left out in the sunlight to dry. Once this has been sone, they are then waxed to straighten out the fibres. These are then manually spun into yarns which are in turn woven into fabrics. Because of the waxing process and the fact Pina has a natural gloss, no chemical finishes need to be applied to the fabrics to give them their characteristic lustre. This means that Pina fabric is completely environmentally friendly.

The making of Pina fabric is a very time consuming, laborious process, which is why it is very expensive and rare. The amount of Pina weavers in the Philippines is also decreasing rapidly. Because of the introduction of cotton, Pina production has become almost extinct.

Properties of Pina

• Resilient
• Strong
• Sheer
• Silky
• Wear-resistant
• Easy to clean
• Eco-Textile
• Luxurious Soft Handle
• Expensive
• Lightweight
• Stiff
• Naturally white or ivory in colour
• Glossy surface texture
• Easy to blend with other fibres

End uses of Pina fabric

• Fabrics
• Rope
• Twine
• Paper
• Clothing
• Accessories
• Home furnishings
• Barong Tagalog – and embroidered Philippine ceremonial garment
• Table Linens
• Handkerchiefs