History of Timor Woven in the west Papua woven culture (edited and translated from http://sosbud.kompasiana.com/2013/02/20/sejarah-kain-timor-dalam-budaya-tenun-ikat-di-papua-barat--530271.html)

More than a century ago, when the majority of Papuans wearing penis gourds (koteka), hula skirt and Awur, the Sorongnese (West Papuan) actually had started to wear their own home-made sarong weaving. The weaving motif is similar and looks like with the cultural products ikat Timor, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). How come this products can be same? The following is search results.

Ikat in Papua apparently first appeared in Sorong, West Papua, on Maybrat tribe which is one of the original residents of the Bird's Head region of Papua. Some of them are Tehit tribal. While the Moi tribal famous with body tattoo culture inhabited the region east of Sorong, especially on the island of Um. Bird's Head region is due to be expanded into a new province with the name of Southwest Papua.

Ikat known in tribal culture Maybrat where their livelihood is gardening and simple farming. Some of them are government officer (PNS). This tribe is known as hard worker. They call it as the Timor woven fabrics. Why is it called so? Reputedly, this weave culture get into West Papua began around the 1700s were brought by missionaries and teachers from the Timor, NTT.

The teachers, missionaries and migrants from Timor are the people who are introducing fabrics as well as train and educate local children to weave fabric woven Timor.

Many women now wearing their own  home-made sarong, especially in the traditional parties in the city, just like the people on the island of Timor. The sarong who has Timor pattern also becoming dowry as most prestigious and most expensive for people of Sorong. If a family has more wovens, especially hundreds years old one then their social status getting higher.

Yosafat Kambu (purple suit), is a spoken person for South West Papua expansion wearing Sorong ikat woven. Photo by  rakyatmerdekaonline.com

US Fiance Visa

Setelah mencoba turis visa dan gagal akhirnya kita memutuskan untuk mencoba fiance visa. mulai tgl 12 april persis setelah turis visa ditolak, attorney yang sudah kita bayar mulai bekerja keras bo....semua surat2 plus ngisi form dia yang ngurusin kita hanya duduk diam manis menunggu (menyebalkan banget menunggu) dan baru mendapat kabar dari USCIS 3 bulan kemudian berupa "REQUEST FOR FUTHER AVIDENCE" yang intinya minta kita masing2 buat statement bahwa setelah masuk ke US dalam 90 hari kita akan menikah dan itu butuh tanda tangan asli dari kedua belah pihak. Contoh surat pernyataan bisa dilihat di http://www.k1-visa-wizard.com/doc-intent-letter-of-intent.html, butuh waktu 10 hari untuk EMS kantor pos Indonesia untuk mengirim surat saya sampe ke tangan attorney dengan biaya berkisar antara 150rb IDR - 200rb IDR, dengan waktu yg diberikan oleh pihak USCIS hanya 1 bulan sejak surat itu dikeluarkan. Tanggal 6 Agustus batas terakhir surat kami masuk ke USCIS dan tanggal 10 Agustus keluar surat resmi dari USCIS yang bilang kalau petitionnya di approved. Butuh 3 minggu buat embassy untuk menghubungi saya via email bahwa mereka sudah mendapatkan semua document saya dari NVC (national visa center) beserta document yang dibutuhkan oleh pihak embassy untuk interview. Berikut email yang dikirimkan pihak embassy beserta document yang mereka butuhkan: "this is an official notification from U.S. Embassy Jakarta regarding your approved I-129F petition. U.S. Embassy Jakarta have received the approved I-129F. Please forward this information to beneficiary and have beneficiary complete the attached forms and submit them to the embassy within 4 months. <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> The EVAF DS-156 can be found at https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp Please note that you need to prepare two copies of the completed DS-156. When forms and documents completed, please send an email JakIV@state.gov for an interview date. When communicating with this office, please provide your name and case number exactly as shown in this letter. Regards, Immigrant Visa Unit"

TIMPOLMAS

My Dad started his own school 2 years ago, he builded a building next to his house being a school, lil bit annoying I think, but it is his dream, his property so he can do whatever he wants. When he started his school 2 years ago only 5 people join and on 2nd year it's grown up to 20 students. I was lil bit pessimistic about his school but seems like everything gonna be find. It had been a week Mike and I taught english and swimming for his 20 students. Today is our last day, that was really fun in english class where we talked about personality. So every single student went to front class one by one then a whole class start to tell she/he what kind of personality she/he has and only good one, no offense but full of fun and joke, in the end we found about 80's personality words which is good more vocabs to learn and know. In the swimming pool was not less fun then classroom, even only 9 kids showed up, we learned more about breast stroke and butterfly stroke, kids are happy since today is free for every one to come in swimming pool.
They are gonna move to new building as ex of government office that my dad rent from local government in Kupang. I am happy for my dad and proud of him to know his students that I realized the students are not come from high class family but more like middle class. My dad gave about 3 kids scholarship that they can study there in his school for free.
Was fun to know those kids and had great time to saw they are happy and enjoying english and swimming class

whole students after class in the last day of english conversation 

last day of swimming program

Ikat Weaving for people in NTT (edited and translated from http://nttprov.go.id/2012/index.php/en/potensiwista/pesonabudaya/tenunikat)

http://nttprov.go.id/2012/index.php/en/potensiwista/pesonabudaya/tenunikat

Nusa Tenggara Timur (East Nusa Tenggara) is one of province in Indonesia. NTT has many islands and regencies with many different tribe/ethnicity with their own language. NTT has more than 100 dialects, has customs, culture and art of their own. This influence explaining as well as illustrate why there are so many decorative patterns/motifs woven on traditional fabrics called tenun ikat (ikat weaving) in East Nusa Tenggara Province. Every tribe has their own distinctive fabrics that describing mythical figure, animals, plants and also disclosure of abstractive as a deep appreciation of the power of nature created by God Almighty.

Woven developed by each tribe / ethnicity in East Nusa Tenggara is the art of hereditary crafts that taught to our children and grandchildren as preservation of the art of weaving. Woven motif that wore by someone will be known or used as a characteristic of a tribe or island where they come from, people are happy and proud wearing original tribal weavings.
At particular tribe or region mostly pattern/motif that they are use could be animals or people like in East Sumba style motif with horses, deer, shrimp, dragon, lion, scarecrow, tree skull and others, while many Timor Tengah Selatan/TTS (South Middle East) the highlight motif patterns are birds, lizards, crocodiles and motives kaif, for other areas floral or leaf as pattern motif is more highlighted while animals it alone more only as decorative.

Traditional woven fabrics or traditional textiles of East Nusa Tenggara in tradition and culture has many functions such as:

• regular clothing to protect and cover the body.
• the clothing for special occasion like dance party or ceremony.
• rewards and awards in marriage (dowry)
• award and administration tool in the event of death.
• Penalty/fine cost in traditional customary law
• exchange 
• prestige in the social strata of society.
• myth and symbol depend on design/motif, some specific design are believed as protector from natural disaster, bad spirit, evil, etc
• appreciation to guest

Woven in traditional societies of East Nusa Tenggara has high value not only because is hand made but it is hard to make too. Making process need the imagination of maker to create motif/design, that is why it is quite expensive.  Woven is really valuable according to symbolic value inside it, including the meaning of all the small symbolics has spiritual and myth value according to culture and tradition
In the beginning woven made as clothes for body protect and cover then became custom needs like parties, ceremonies and dancing  and then now it is populer as formal clothing with modern design according to fashion trend and market demand
Right now weaving is one of economical income for NTT society especially for rural communities, mostly women in the village make woven for kill their time and help increasing family income and clothing needs for culture and tradition parties/ceremonies

At first woven made to meet the daily needs as clothing and protective body cover, then evolving to the needs of indigenous (parties, ceremonies, dances, marriage, death, etc.), until now an official dress material and modern which was designed in the development of fashion, as well to meet the demands / needs of consumers.

During its development, handicraft weaving is one source of income (UP2K) NTT society especially in rural communities. In general, rural women use their spare time to weave in an effort to increase family income and clothing needs.

If viewed from the production process or how to do it then that is woven in the East can be divided into three types, namely:

• Ikat weaving; ikat called for the formation of the binding motif threads through the process. Unlike the rest of Indonesia, to produce a pattern on the fabric weft threads are tied, while weaving in East Nusa Tenggara, to produce the thread that tied motif is lungsi thread.

Ikat Weaving. Photo by www.inimaumere.com

• Weaving Buna; term local area (North Central Timor) "woven buna" which means weave to create a pattern or decorative / motifs on fabric using yarn that has been dyed prior

weaving Buna

• Weaving Lotis / Sotis or Songket; Called also Sotis weaving or songket weaving, where the manufacturing process is similar to the use Buna weaving the threads that have been dyed.

Songket from Manggarai. Photo by www.travel.detik.com

According to the fungsional of ikat, woven products in East Nusa Tenggara has three (3) types: sarong, blanket and syal with base of color generally dark basic colors, like black, brown, maroon and dark blue. This is because craftwoman must always use vegetable dyes such as Tauk, noni, turmeric and other plans in order to coloring yarn, and the dominant motif colors of white, tan, red mereon.

For dyeing / coloring yarn in East Nusa Tenggara have been using chemical dyes that have the advantage of a case like fast, fade resistant, light resistant and rub resistant, and has a lot of color variations. The dyes used are: naphtol, direck, sulfur and reactive dyes.

However, most of small craftswoman still using natural dyes in the dyeing process and thread as customary consumption for collective resistance, oil with wax and others to get the quality and savings staining dyes drugs.

From the three types of woven mentioned above, the distribution can be seen as follows:

• Ikat weaving; almost evenly spread in all districts except in the East Manggarai and partly Ngada.
• Weaving Buna; Spread in Kupang, Timor Tengah Selatan, Belu and most are in North Central Timor.
• Weaving Lotis / Sotis or Songket; contained in the District / City of Kupang, East South Central, North Central Timor, Belu, Alor, East Flores, Lembata, Sikka, Ngada, Manggarai, East Sumba and West Sumba.

FOR NANA

Nana is one of my best friend who lives in Jakarta, been my customer for last 3 years and just ordered kebaya from me. I am happy to make kebaya for her since her size and my size kinda same except she has "bigger asset" :p well size D is really making a big different on dress between she and me hahahha even though she looks skinner then me.
Here are pics of her with my dresses and kebayas

I made this neckless by my self on our last day in Peru.
When I looking for souvenir that I can give as gift for friend in Cali, I found they sell this colorful seeds. They sell it in souvenir shop in Lima, they sell it in different color, when I saw that I was right away in love with the color, so I picked and mixed all different color. That was winter time in Peru on May 2012 when Mike and I went there, and when we should back to Cali I was thinking that is summer time in Cali and I want something colorful for summer, until I found this seeds and this neckless just came crossed my mind exactly this way.
I don't know from what plant all this seeds come from but the shape is really interesting to use and especially when the peruvian colored this way. I still have one of this neckless that I wanna give to friend in Kupang.
When I wore this neckless never in that day I don't get any complement about it.

Ikat Weaving from Solor

Solor is an island next to east Flores.
My cousin bough this ikat from a guy from that island who sale this in her office is Larantuka Hospital, they bought it in order to make uniform for their division.
She trust me to make it and gave to me that ikat when i was in her parents house in Lewolere - Larantuka last Easter.
This model you can wear separate only top with other skirt or only skirt with other top, or wear that as a  suite. When you wearing as suite you can wear it for formal occasion and even when you wear the top with mini skirt you can wear it for formal too, and for skirt I really suggest to wear it with kebaya with short sleeves and put as the way I put in the other picture of myself with black kebaya

Me on my father in law birthday party on 2nd Feb 2013 with the same kind model of skirt. Of course we produced the black kebaya and skirt, the red ribbon is made from flannel I bought from dollar store for $1 sure and it is 2 pieces that I sewing it together to make it became one piece. The red shoes I got from my husband as a val's present on 2012 that i want so much, we found it  in pay less.

Blue Kebaya

one of the latest kebaya I just finished

Lewoingu t-shirt

It have been 8 years since I start to have my own business and working in fashion field. 4 friends and I started from t-shirt design and sell it in independent local store in Yogyakarta. My best friend and I spread our business card from friends to friends, strangers to stranger who we met in many coffee shops we went and now most of them becoming friends and customers. After long time we don't have any designer for t-shirt anymore because 3 of our friends resign from this business and they are a good designer, now each of them becoming web master design and I am one of their big fan, I adore their design even though we haven't meet for years. I just back to Indo and was thought to produce a t-shirt for people in my dad's village who are friends, relatives, cousins and families and my brother made it happen with his design below

Design by my brother Olan. Lewoingu is name of my dad village in East Flores and "rite hena" means only us in local language. 

the result of my brother design. I think this is cool design

PASKA's KEBAYA

Here is another

Ikat weaving

Ikat weaving from NTT (Nusa Tenggara Timur) is being populer lately, I remember when I was a kid I had some of those out fit from ikat but the fashion by that time was awful, then I never really love to wear out fit from ikat after that.
Last couple years Ikat is booming every where even in the international fashion, talked in many fashion magazines and blogs and my self started to love it few years ago, only wasn't that confidence like now.
My Grandma is one of ikat maker but only my dad's youngest sister learn how to make that, I wish one day  I have time enough to stay in my dad's village without electricity and internet (aarrgghhh hard to imagine) for a month so I can learn how to make it

this is how woman in NTT make ikat, that motive above is from one region in Flores island call Maumere. Picture taken by "made in Indonesia" in made in Indonesia festival in Silver Spring

I just made my own pants from ikat that i found in my mom closet, one of her collection, the motive is from one district in East Flores region call Waibalun. Ikat is not cheap because it is hand made just like ikat from mexico and many latin countries. NTT got more influence for motive from India and Vietnam, don't ask me how it is happen, you can google it easily :p. Avarage price for ikat is about US $50, you can find it cheaper or way expensive depend on size, motive and producing area. In NTT sumba has the most expensive ikat because of the motive. One of my friend from Sumba who has Royal blood has 1 big closet of ikat that she got when she was get married 6 years ago, and it is just tradition that sumbanese believe that if something happen to her husband she can be easily survive with her ikat just by sell it.

my pants made from ikat, comes from Waibalun - East Flores

Today I just made others outfit for my customer and sure from ikat too.  Well one day if you come to NTT don't forget to grab one of this ikat you will not regard to have that, even thou it is expensive. 

the most famous motive from Sumba the out fit made in my sewing shop

Mostly women from NTT wearing their ikat in this way with kebaya and those kebaya are made by me too for sure. Photos taken by Paska Isliko

More pics of kebayas in progress

Back to Kebaya

I been back to Indo for almost 3 months now, go back forward between my homeland Kupang-Timor and my 2nd homeland Yogyakarta where I been lived since 1996
I am excited and still excited since I started to produce kebaya again more and more after 16 months never keep in touch with any of that stuff.
When I got to Yogya in 1st 2 weeks I produced about 4 kebayas but only 1 that I really love.
Now on my 2nd time in Yogya and today is 3rd week I been produced about 3 kebayas and already waiting for 3 kebayas more.
Here are some of my kebaya pics taken very unprofesional wish i can find model soon or my customers dont mind to send out their picture with my kebaya

this kebaya is ordered by one of my best friend who lives in Jakarta, she is been our customer since 2010. I really love this kebaya cuz it is red, hope can find a prof model soon so i can take a good pic for this kebaya

a kebaya for cousin i am sorry for bad model and pic :p, just wanna show you the details