FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is ANTHILL Fabrics and who is it for?
ANTHILL (Alternative Nest and Trading/ Training Hub for Indigenous/ Ingenious Little Livelihood seekers) Fabrics is the first online marketplace showcasing the beautiful hand loomed fabrics in the Philippines. We honour the past by keeping our culture alive today through our beautiful weaves. This online platform aims to support the livelihood of our weaving communities across the Philippines by providing them access to digital markets with a global reach. Whether you are a designer, crafter, fabric connoisseur, or a passionate hobbyist you are welcome to be part of our community of Proud Weave Crafters.

Where is ANTHILL located?
Our office is located in Pedro Calomarde St. cor Acacia St. Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines

Important note: Store visits are by appointment only. Please notify us a day ahead and email your request to visit at shop@anthillfabricgallery.com 

What are your store hours?
We are at your service online from Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM (Philippine time). Our gallery in Cebu is open from Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM.

We ship daily except weekends and non-working holidays. In case you are in an immediate need to wear or have a weave, please do email us your request for priority shipping at shop@anthillfabricgallery.com

What makes ANTHILL a sustainable and ethical brand?
ANTHILL practices transparency along its supply chain ensuring value creation among all our stakeholders in our ecosystem business model- from our partner weavers, our team and customers. We are a human centered and community based company that honours the slow nature of the weaving process. We value this craft passed on to us by our ancestors by caring for our material knowledge and living tradition with respect and consultation with our partner artisans. We ensure fair wages and good working conditions for our artisans. We build their entrepreneurial capacity through our Community Enterprise Development Program so they can become self reliant and successful in their businesses.

How many weaving communities do you work with?
We currently work with 12 communities, 3 of which are our Direct Partners who benefit from our capacity building program. Our Textile Partners are non profits, cooperatives and other small businesses who are either more established and already serve other markets or those who are still not business ready to engage and commit in a partnership with us. With our Textile Partners, our interventions are limited to providing market access and support in product design and innovation.

What are the weaves made of?
Most of our weaves are made from upcycled cotton and polyester blend threads. We also have natural fibers like abaca that are naturally or synthetically dyed. We also have zero waste weaves made from remnant fabrics and end cuts from commercial production.

What can your different handwoven fabrics be used for?
Our fabrics can be used for both apparel and non-apparel items. They can also be used in different craft projects, upholstery, fabric art and anything under the sun. You may browse through our Journal for craft ideas!

Are the fabric colours of the site the exact match of the actual fabric colour?
We do our best to capture the exact color of our weaves in our product photos however there might be slight variation in the actual color depending on your display or screen settings.

Due to this discrepancy, we recommend you request a sample before purchasing fabrics from our online store. You may also purchase a swatch card of the fabric you are interested in through our website.

Who can I contact to learn more about the fabrics if I have further questions?
If you have specific questions regarding the weaves or our processes, you can book a 15 minute complementary video call consultation with us. Book your video consultation here.

FABRIC CARE
Every fabric goes through a slow and rigorous production process. As it is handmade, each weave is unique and you might find inconsistencies on the fabric. We trust that you understand the intricacies of every weave and find beauty in the imperfections. 

Washing. You may hand wash or machine wash your weaves in cold water using mild detergent at low spin cycle. Hang the weaves to air dry. 

Zero waste weaves and weaves in natural fiber must be hand washed in cold water.

Ironing. Always set your iron in the lowest or silk setting. Iron the fabrics while it is still damp. Spray with a little water before ironing if the fabric is dry. Use a cotton-covered ironing board.

How do I order?
1. Browse through our SHOP page and click “Add to Cart” for that weave you’ve been eyeing on.
2. If you have a weave you fancy but it’s not time for that intentional purchase yet, just click and “Add to Favorites” and save it for later
3. When you are satisfied and ready to complete your order, just “Checkout”
4. Fill in the necessary fields with your contact and shipping details
5. Choose a payment option either via PayPal or BDO / BPI bank deposit
6. Click “Complete my Purchase”
7. You will receive an email containing your sales invoice and payment instructions

Signing up for an account would facilitate ease of shopping in your next purchase. It would only take 10 seconds tops!

What are your payment methods?
For local orders, we accept payments via PayPal and BDO / BPI Bank Deposits.

The account information and payment instructions will be provided on your sales invoice upon confirmation of your order. We will reserve the item for you for two (2) working days. If you are not able to provide proof of payment within 2 days, your order is automatically cancelled.

For international orders, we currently only accept payments via PayPal. Payments facilitated via PayPal automatically include PayPal fees.

What do I do if I want to add something else to an order I already paid for?
If your orders have not been booked for delivery, you can contact us on FB/ IG / Email shop@anthillfabricgallery.com about your additional orders and we will facilitate editing your orders for you.

If a fabric is sold out, will you replenish them? Can I order it again?
We may reweave certain favorite fabrics but most often than not, the colors would no longer be the exact match. When we have volume orders with particular color specifications, we buy brand new thread to ensure we are able to supply the order with a consistent color. You may send us your custom order here.

Do you accept wholesale orders?
Absolutely! We also sell our fabrics wholesale. To get the feel of the actual fabrics, you may purchase swatch cards or our swatchbook here. For bulk orders, you may also customize the colors of the fabrics following the patterns indigenous to our communities. For more details, please email fill up our wholesale inquiry here.

Can I cancel my already placed and paid order?
Cancellations will not be permitted for fabrics already been cut. Kindly send us a message and check if you may still cancel your order.

Can we collaborate with ANTHILL?
We thrive in collaborations and working together to constantly elevate the value of our weaves. We would love to work with you. Email us your proposal or ideas at collaborate@anthillfabricgallery.com

What is the process for custom textile order or reordering existing textiles?
Ordering a custom fabric is made easy by simply filling out our custom order form . You can give us details about your idea and upload your color preferences.

What is the estimated timeline for custom order / reordering?
The timeline would depend on the design, fabric, and color of the custom fabric order. We will also have to consult the community if the design is feasible. You can fill out our custom order form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

PRICING
ANTHILL was founded because we wanted to be able to preserve our weaving culture and provide sustainable livelihood by making weaves accessible for all. We provide fair wages among our community partners while ensuring that our prices remain accessible and reasonable.

Our online store ships internationally but we also have weave partners in change and stockists from around the globe. Our pricing for our international stockist varies from our local pricing as it takes into consideration the logistical and overhead costs incurred as we bring our weaves closer to the rest of the world.

STOCK / REPLACEMENT POLICY
We restock our fabrics, especially those that our weavers produce regularly. In the event that the fabric you want is out of stock, you will have the option to either:

1. Have it replaced. We will find and suggest similar fabrics that fit your requirements. If you accept our suggested fabric, the difference between the amount of replacement and the original product that is out of stock will be refunded or charged.

If you DO NOT accept our suggestion, we will REFUND you the amount of the fabric(s) that is out of stock. Please acknowledge that only the fabric(s) that is out of stock will be refunded, not the total amount of your order.

2. Reproduce. The minimum order to trigger immediate reproduction will range between 12 - 80 yards depending on the product. Fill up our Custom Order form here. 

In our zero waste efforts, we have veered away from boxes and anything that will just contribute to more waste. Instead, we use upcycled cloth bags assembled by our production partner using deadstock fabrics. Every purchased item contains a story tag that tells you the origin of the weave, name of the weave and the weaver behind it. You can use this as a bookmark too!

We securely pack all shipments f or safe and prompt delivery. All standard orders will be shipped 2-3 business days upon confirmation from our Cebu warehouse. If you need to expedite your package, please email us at shop@anthillfabricgallery.com

Kindly refer to the information below for details according to your location.

LOCAL SHIPPING
We ship from Cebu via JRS , DHL or GOGO EXPRESS. Our standard shipping costs start at a minimum fixed rate of Php 250 outside of Cebu, Philippines. Local shipping fee ranges from PHP250-450 depending on the location of the delivery and the weight of the parcel.

Local standard shipping: 3-5 working days
Local express shipping: 1-3 working days

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
We offer shipping worldwide via air-mail. We ship via FEDEX. Shipping fees will be computed upon check out depending on the destination. International shipping fee ranges from PHP1,600-2,900 with a maximum weight of 2.5kg of the parcel. Shipping fees are also dependent on the final weight of the parcel.

International standard shipping: 10-15 working days
International express shipping: 5-10 working days

If you want to arrange your shipments and NOT use our shipping:
You are welcome to arrange your shipments using your own courier and have them pick up your items from our store.

When you place your order, set the "shipping address" to our store address:
ANTHILL Fabric Gallery
Pedro Calomarde St. cor Acacia St.
Gorordo Avenue, Lahug
Cebu City, Philippines
Contact Name:
Contact Number:

TRACKING
One you get your shipping confirmation via email, a tracking number and a shipping website will be provided to you so you can check the status of your shipment. Please note that couriers normally update their website 24 hours after you receive the shipping confirmation

Will I receive customs or import duties?
From experience, this is a case-to-case basis and is highly dependent on the destination and the items shipped. The recipient of the package must pay import fees, additional taxes, handling fees and other surcharges. We are not responsible for any customs and import duty charges.

Unfortunately, we are unable to determine what the costs would be as custom policies and import duties vary from country to country. We suggest it would be best for you to contact your local customs office to check on possible charges before you place your order.

We aim to provide you with the best possible service and ensure positive customer experience. We only desire that you are able to use your weaves. However, cancellations, returns, and refunds are not permitted after fabric goods have been cut and all these sales are considered final.

If you realize that you have made a mistake after placing an order and you wish to make changes, please email us immediately referencing your order number. We will do our best to satisfy your request, but only on the condition that the fabrics of your order have not been cut.

Be sure to run advance tests with a swatch or small portion of yardage before laundering/manufacturing full yardages to avoid damaging the goods. Washing and management methods can change depending on the characteristics of fabric or finished garments. We do not accept responsibility for fabrics that are incorrectly laundered/damaged by poorly handling products.

What is your return policy?
We offer returns and exchanges valid within 15 days from the date of shipment. In the unlikely event that you have received fabrics that are damaged, defective, or incorrect, kindly contact us immediately at fabrics@anthillfabricgallery.com. We will ask you to ship the fabrics back to us and initially pay for the shipping fee. We will provide a full refund of your order including the cost of shipping to us.

Color differences due to lot-to-lot-variations do not count as defective or incorrect. We will notify you regarding lot-to-lot variations beforehand if there is a large difference, but we are not obligated to do so.

Exchange for undamaged item/s or item/s that the client mistakenly made when placing the order will not be allowed.

How can I return or exchange my item?
To return your item, please email us at shop@anthillfabricgallery,com and specify if you want a refund or a store credit depending on your preference. Kindly also attach a proof of incorrect item or damage within 5 days upon receiving your order.

You may mail the item to our office address at:
ANTHILL Fabric Gallery
Pedro Calomarde St. cor Acacia St
Gorordo Avenue, Lahug,
Cebu City, Philippines, 6000
Tel # 479 - 4058 / 09995841713

Please ensure that you use a trackable shipping service to guarantee receipt of your items when you return them. Include the tracking number on your email message to us.

We cannot offer a refund or exchange 15 days after the shipping date. To be eligible for a return or exchange, please make sure that your item is unused, unwashed and in the same condition as you received it. It also must be in the original packaging.

When can I get a refund?
We will notify you via email once your item has been received and expected. If all is well with the returned item, your refund will be processed. We will readily deposit or credit the amount you paid in your bank/ PayPal account. Bank transfers usually take 2-3 working days before the refund is reflected on your account. If you have not received your refund beyond this time period, please email us at shop@anthillfabricgallery.com.

Which items do not qualify a refund?
Gift cards are non-refundable.

Only regular priced items may be returned or refunded, unfortunately sale or discounted items cannot be returned or refunded. If you have any questions about the fabric, please reach out to customer service before placing an order.

Can I return and exchange my item for another item?
We would only allow exchanges when the fabrics you received are damaged, defective or incorrect. Exchange for undamaged item/s or item/s that the client mistakenly made when placing the order will not be allowed.

What is a store credit?
A discount coupon that is the same value as the refund amount. You may use your store credit for future purchases in our store.

Can I return custom orders?
Unfortunately, customer orders are woven to your preferences. We don’t accept returns for custom orders. Please take note that there will be +/- in color difference as we do not have any control in the dyeing process.

What are the patterns that are available for customization?
The following patterns are available for customization:

LUZON: Binakol, Kantarines Stripe, Kantarines Plain, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon, Ramit, Cordillera weaves (Benguet Stripe, Kinan-ew, Paracellis, Pigi (Pigpighi), Sinanbituin, Sopo, Tago-tago Kalasag, Tiktiko V, Tiktiko X)

VISAYAS: Hablon, Polyhemp, Zero Waste weave

MINDANAO: Yakan Sinaluan

We will provide you with a digital yarn swatch with the available yarn colors. You can choose your preferred colors for your textile’s warp and weft from this digital yarn swatch. 

If you would like samples of your chosen yarn colors, we can send the swatches to you. It is 8,500 php for the entire swatch book and 250 php for 10 colors of yarn swatches. 

Are you able to provide information about the pattern?
Yes. We can provide information about the weavers and the processes. You can also visit Our Artisan page to know more ab out the different weaving communities that we worked with.

Are you able to provide photos of the weavers at work and share their story?
Yes, we can definitely provide this. However, if you want to get professional content, there will be additional charges.

What is the minimum order quantity per pattern?
Binakol, Kantarines stripe, Kantarines plain, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon : 20 yards / 18.29 meters
Ramit : 2.75 meters
Cordillera weaves : 80 meters
Hablon, zero waste weave, polyhemp : 12 meters
Yakan sinaluan : 24 meters

What is the process for customizing textiles?

• Fill out the custom order form on our website. Decide on your preferred textile pattern, width, and number of meters. Please take note of the minimum order quantity per pattern. 
• The ANTHILL team reviews your order details.
• ANTHILL’s sales officer emails you photos of the available yarn colors / sizes as well as a specification sheet with notes on the location and number of yarn colors you need to choose for the warp and weft of your textile.
• Choose your yarn colors/size for the warp and weft and send this to ANTHILL’s sales officer. Woven fabrics are made of two sets of yarns: warp yarns and weft yarns. The warp are yarns located along the length of a textile and parallel to the fabric edge (selvage). While the weft yarns, which are perpendicular to the fabric edges, are inserted over and under the warp.
  

• The ANTHILL team does the costing of the desired custom fabric. 
• ANTHILL’s finance officer emails you a quotation, final textile specification sheet, terms and conditions, and the production lead time for your textile order. 
• If you are happy with all the details, sign the spec sheet, and terms and conditions document. Then send the signed documents back to the ANTHILL team.
• ANTHILL’s finance officer emails you the invoice and requests for 50% down payment
• Once the 50% down payment is paid and our finance officer acknowledges your payment, the production of the textile order begins. 
• Once the textile is complete and passes quality control checks, ANTHILL’s sales officer will inform you and coordinate with you for the shipment of the textile. 
• Full payment is made once production is complete and textiles are ready to be delivered.
• Custom textile is delivered to you. 

How long is the lead time from order to delivery?
The lead time depends on the pattern, color combination, width, and quantity you would like to order. Normally, it takes between 3-9 weeks. After we review your order details we will provide a tentative lead time together with the quotation. 

Binakol, Kantarines stripe, Kantarines plain, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon : 5-7 weeks
Ramit : 5-7 weeks
Cordillera weaves : 7-11 weeks
Hablon, zero waste weave, polyhemp : 5-7 weeks
Yakan sinaluan : 7-11 weeks

What are the limitations that I have to know when customizing a fabric?
We cannot create custom patterns. You can only choose from the existing textile patterns that our partner weaving communities already offer.

How wide can the custom fabrics be?
Binakol, Kantarines stripe, Kantarines plain, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon : 12-27 inches
Ramit : 1-23 inches
Cordillera weaves : 2-30 inches
Hablon, zero waste weave, polyhemp : 12-36 inches
Yakan sinaluan : 16-24 inches

Are we allowed to make a prototype / sample before production of full order?
Yes, we can create a 0.25 meter sample prior to production. We can also ship the actual sample to you. But please note that once the sample is made, the order can no longer be canceled. We can make slight adjustments to the weft of the fabric but we cannot change the warp, thread colors, or the total order quantity. Please note that choosing to have a prototype made / waiting for approval prior to production will affect the lead time.

What materials are used for weaving?
For all our fabrics: 100% polyester (size: tkt.120)

For zero waste weaves: We cut fabric scraps into strips that are woven along the weft of the fabric. 

For polyhemp: Raw Abaca fibers that are woven along the weft of the fabric 

Can I use cotton yarn?
Currently, we still don’t have a consistent supply of dyed cotton yarn. This is because there are only a few cotton farms and local suppliers producing this yarn. Therefore, we will be unable to offer cotton yarn for our custom textiles for now. 

Although, we are currently exploring the use of cotton yarn for our textiles. We are in the process of testing out locally produced cotton yarn to create different kinds of handwoven fabric patterns. 

How are the materials sourced?
For all our fabrics: We purchase all our 100% polyester (size: tkt.120) yarn from Monaco Manufacturing Inc. 

For zero waste weaves: We get our fabric scraps from our own apparel/non-apparel production or they are donated by local brands/producers. Alternatively, we can also weave your scrap fabric for you but the fabric scraps must be a material that does not fray when cut. We would need approximately 0.4 kilos of fabric scraps per meter and the fabric scraps need to be as wide as the width of your custom textile order. 

For polyhemp: Our partner weaving community purchases abaca fibers from a farming cooperative in Negros Oriental. 

Will the materials affect the price?
Yes, yarn in different sizes/materials comes in different prices and the chosen yarn size/material also affects the total quantity needed to produce the entire textile order.

I want my fabric to be thicker. What are the various thickness of the yarn I can use?
These are the available 100% polyester yarn sizes from our supplier: Tkt. 120, Tkt. 80, Tkt. 50, Tkt. 35, Tkt. 20, Tkt. 12. 

The smaller the ticket (Tkt.) number, the thicker the yarn is.

You may use the list below as a reference for the current yarn sizes being used in our existing textiles or yarn sizes that weavers have previously used for specific fabric patterns. 

Binakol, Kantarines stripe, kantarines plain, tiniri, metallic hablon
Thread size/s used for the warp of existing fabrics : Tkt 120
Thread size/s that can be used for the warp of these fabrics : Tkt 50, tkt 80

Ramit
Thread size/s used for the warp of existing fabrics : Tkt 50

Cordillera weaves
Thread size/s used for the warp of existing fabrics : Tkt 120

Hablon, zero waste weave, polyhemp
Thread size/s used for the warp of existing fabrics : Tkt 120

Yakan sinaluan
Thread size/s used for the warp of existing fabrics : Tkt 120
Thread size/s that can be used for the warp of these fabrics : Tkt 80

Are all kinds of thickness possible for all patterns?
Yes, but we can only adjust the yarn thickness along the weft of all the fabric patterns we are offering for customisation. Please refer to the table above for yarn sizes being used for the warp of specific fabrics. 

How much do custom fabrics cost per meter?
The price per meter is affected by the details of your textile order (yarn type/size, color combination). If you would like a textile with a pattern that has a warp and weft in the same or similar colors, this may cost more because it is more difficult to weave. See estimated price per meter below.

Binakol, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon - PHP880
Kantarines - PHP660
Ramit - PHP1300
Cordillera weaves - PHP1800
Hablon stripes/ plain - PHP660
Zero waste regular / patterned / tiny strips - PHP1800
Zero waste tiny strips patterned - PHP2700
Polyhemp - PHP660
Yakan sinaluan - PHP1500

Are there discounts for bulk orders?
Get 5% off for a minimum of 10 meters
Get 10% off for a minimum of 20 meters
Get 15% off for a minimum of 30 meters

What is your return/exchange policy?
We do not allow returns or exchanges for custom order textiles. 

Am I allowed to cancel my order?
You cannot cancel your custom textile order once the down payment has been made and the materials have been purchased.

Which handwoven fabrics are suitable for apparel?
LUZON: Binakol, Kantarines stripe, Kantarines plain, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon, Ramit, Cordillera weaves (Benguet Stripe, Kinan-ew, Paracellis, Pigi (Pigpighi), Sinanbituin, Sopo, Tago-tago Kalasag, Tiktiko V, Tiktiko X)

VISAYAS: Hablon, Zero Waste weave

MINDANAO: Yakan Sinaluan

Which handwoven fabrics are suitable for bags?
LUZON: Binakol, Kantarines stripe, Kantarines plain, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon, Ramit, Cordillera weaves (Benguet Stripe, Kinan-ew, Paracellis, Pigi (Pigpighi), Sinanbituin, Sopo, Tago-tago Kalasag, Tiktiko V, Tiktiko X)

VISAYAS: Hablon, Polyhemp, Zero Waste weave

MINDANAO: Yakan Sinaluan

Which handwoven fabrics are suitable for upholstery?
LUZON: Binakol, Kantarines stripe, Kantarines plain, Tiniri, Metallic Hablon, Ramit, Cordillera weaves (Benguet Stripe, Kinan-ew, Paracellis, Pigi (Pigpighi), Sinanbituin, Sopo, Tago-tago Kalasag, Tiktiko V, Tiktiko X)

VISAYAS: Hablon, Zero waste weave

MINDANAO: Yakan Sinaluan

Are there any limitations we need to know with regards to the usage of these fabrics?
The Abaca Pinangabol and T’nalak weaves CANNOT BE used as footwear because the tribal communities that weave these textiles believe that this an inappropriate use of their sacred textiles.