Ikat Dyeing Technique

• Ikat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.
• In ikat, the resist is formed by binding individual yarns or bundles of yarns with a tight wrapping applied in the desired pattern.
• The yarns are then dyed.
• The bindings may then be altered to create a new pattern and the yarns dyed again with another colour.
• This process may be repeated multiple times to produce complex, multicoloured patterns.
• When the dyeing is finished all the bindings are removed and the yarns are woven into cloth.
• In other resist-dyeing techniques such as tie-dye and batik, the resist is applied to the finished cloth rather than to the yarns.
• Because the surface design is created in the yarns rather than on the finished cloth, in ikat both fabric faces are patterned.
• A characteristic of ikat textiles is a blurred design.
• The blurriness is a result of the difficulty in precisely aligning the dyed yarns so the pattern comes out perfectly "in focus".
• The blurriness can be reduced by using finer yarns or by simplifying the design.
• Ikats with little blurriness, multiple colours and complicated patterns are more difficult to create and therefore more expensive.
• Ikat is produced in many countries around the world, from India to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan (where it is called kasuri), Africa, and Latin America.
• Ikat is thought to have originated independently in several different locations.

Types of Ikat

• Warp-faced ikat: warp yarns are dyed using the ikat technique
• Weft-faced ikat: weft yarns are dyed using the ikat technique
• Double ikat: both the warp and the weft yarns are dyed using the ikat technique

Warp Ikat

• Warp ikat is probably the simplest to produce.
• The warp yarns are wound onto a frame.
• Next they are grouped and tied so the desired design emerges.
• The yarns are then dyed.
• This process can be repeated multiple times with different colours.
• When the dyeing is completed, the bindings are removed and the warp yarns are loaded onto the loom.
• By adjusting the placement of the warp yarns, the weaver can sharpen the design as the cloth is woven.
• Warp ikats are common in Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe.

Weft Ikat

• Weft ikat is more difficult to produce than warp ikat because the weft yarns must be precisely placed each time a weft shot is inserted.
• The weft ikat designs tend to have angular shapes.
• Weft ikats are common in Southeast Asia and South America.

Double Ikat

• Double ikat is the most difficult to produce.
• Double ikat involves dyeing both the warp and the weft.
• To achieve complex patterns, the process requires a high degree of skill and precision.
• The double ikat produced in Patan, Gujarat in India is the most technically complex form of ikat.
• Known as patola, it is made using very fine silk yarns and dyed using natural dyes.
• It can take up to a year to make one patola sari.
• Highly prized, patola saris are worn by women for special occasions.
• Double ikat is also woven in Japan, where it is known as kasuri.

Regional variations

• Gujarat, India: Known for patola, a double ikat traditionally made using silk
• Indonesia: Ikats are common throughout Indonesia, each region having its own distinctive patterns and colours
• Japan: Known for kasuri, which can be warp, weft, or double ikat made of cotton.
• Okinawa, Japan: Known for bashofu, a cloth made from banana plant fibres that is often dyed using ikat techniques.
• Madagascar: Silk cloths are woven using ikat
• Argentina: Gauchos use ikat to make the bombachas (trousers).
• Uzbekistan: Ikat fabrics are used for making decorative panels, traditional costumes, and other items.
• Yemen: Ikat fabrics are used for making decorative panels, traditional costumes, and other items.