Mon Tai Dam (Tai Dam Kapok Pillow) — Eight White Cotton Tubes Stuffed with Kapok, 18 × 30 × 12 cm, Eight-Petal Appliqué Ends, Black Cotton Case

"Begin by sewing eight pieces of white cloth together lengthwise into tubes like a honeycomb, and stuff kapok tightly into all eight tubes, until from outside it looks like four ridges stacked in two layers." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author ธันวดี สุขประเสริฐ (Thanwadi Sukprasoet), CC BY 4.0)

Sew eight pieces of white cotton together lengthwise into honeycomb tubes, stuff all eight tightly with kapok to give four ridges in two layers, and sew a piece over each end. This gives a brick-shaped pillow 18 cm wide, 30 cm long and 12 cm high.

Fold prepared coloured cloth, such as orange, yellow, green and white, into petals: 12 flowers of eight petals each (lai dok paet). Use small mirror pieces or silver sequins as the flower centres. Sew six flowers onto each end of the pillow.

Sew a side-opening case of plain black cotton and slip it over the pillow so it does not hide the end patterns.

Photos of a real Tai Dam pillow (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author ธันวดี สุขประเสริฐ (Thanwadi Sukprasoet), CC BY 4.0).

Use it as a head rest at home. Tai Dam women made them ready as part of their household goods for after marriage.

Pillow-making was an important craft of Tai Dam women, handed down from mother to daughter. The eight-petal pattern comes from the belief in eight Thaen deities who protect whoever wears it. Other favourite patterns are lotus petals and the chan flower. Take care with needle and scissors. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Traditional Objects of Everyday Use database, "หมอนไทดำ", author ธันวดี สุขประเสริฐ (Thanwadi Sukprasoet) (CC BY 4.0 licence). **Limits** The source gives no petal size and no step-by-step petal folding, and there is no listing for kapok or mirror pieces, so they are named in the text.