Ayns Village
After leaving Bambus Village, our next destination was Ayns Village.
This was the village that took third place in the souvenirs category for its fabric bags.
They were made by attaching fabric scraps to a canvas-like material.
At first, I thought they were patchwork, but since there were no visible stitches, I’d been curious about how they were made.
I was looking forward to seeing how they were produced.
When we arrived in Ayns Village, a woman was waiting for us—someone who looked familiar, though I couldn’t recall where we had met.
I didn’t think she had been present at the award ceremony for the exhibition.
Apparently, her name was Sally.
“We’ve met several times at the mansion,” Sally said, helping jog my memory.
It turned out she worked at Ayla’s shop.
She must have been one of the people who came to take Rosetta’s uniform measurements, or those for Atre and Lucas’s scarves.
“Was it all right for you to take time off from the shop?” I asked.
“The owner told me, ‘If Young Master Chrisford and the others come to the village, guide them around,’” she explained.
“I see. Please thank Ayla for me when you return,” I said.
At the meeting hall, they had prepared everything for us—small crafted items, fabrics with attached scraps, and samples of all sorts.
I picked up one of the fabrics with the scraps attached, still noting that there were no stitches.
“Would you mind explaining how these are made?” I asked.
“We attach the scraps to this firm fabric here. The material is made from a plant called Pine, which can be turned into both thread and paper. However, as a fabric, it’s quite stiff, so it’s unpopular for clothing—we mostly use it for bags,” Sally explained.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.”
“The bags are durable, but since they’re mostly used as shopping bags, they’re not as sturdy as bamboo baskets. They’re mainly bought by people who don’t like carrying bamboo baskets. We used to sell them plain,” she continued.
“Plain?”
“Yes. In this village, attaching scraps to Pine bags has been done for a long time, but the process was tedious, so only a small number were made for local use.”
“You said was. Does that mean…?
“Yes, thanks to this iron-type magic tool,” she replied, and demonstrated.
She spread a glue-like substance over the Pine fabric, pressed fabric scraps onto it, then used a magical iron to apply heat—and the scraps stuck beautifully.
“It only works well with high-temperature ironing. The old irons were heavy and couldn’t keep a steady temperature, so only a few turned out nicely.”
“Is that glue-like substance something you make in the village?”
“Yes, it’s made by crushing the fruit of the Pine plant.”
“Doesn’t it come off when the fabric is washed?”
“Once it’s attached, it never peels off.”
“We entered the exhibition because of this technique, but aside from small items, we couldn’t think of any other uses for it.”
“How about using it as lining for bamboo baskets?” I suggested.
“Lining?” she repeated, curious.
I took out one of the bamboo baskets Dino had given me and pressed a piece of Pine fabric with attached scraps against the inside.
“It could make each basket feel unique—something fun to personalize.”
“You mean attaching or sewing the fabric inside the basket? That does sound interesting. I’ll try making versions with fabric on the outside and inside.”
She mentioned that they’d have to cooperate with Bambus Village, but honestly, I couldn’t say with confidence whether it would sell well.
And I couldn’t think of any other ideas either.
“By the way, didn’t you say earlier that the Pine plant could also be made into paper?” Brother Chris asked.
“Yes, but the paper is thick, and it’s hard to write on, so we haven’t found a use for it,” Sally explained.
“Could we see it?”
“Of course—here it is.”
Apparently, she’d already prepared some.
It was a slightly yellowish, rough-surfaced cardstock.
It would definitely be hard to write on.
Still, thick paper might have some other uses.
I decided to take whatever they had.
I also bought some of the small fabric items made with scraps—pouches, tote bags, and placemats—to offer to the gods.
As for pot holders, trivets, and vase mats, I decided not to buy them and asked to have those sent to the new town instead as souvenirs.
What do you think about this chapter?
