IKAT WEAVING
IKAT WEAVING
Ikat
has its own unique weaving designs be it paisley designs, curved scrolls or
diamond shaped patterns.
Ikat
is one of the complex weaving style which is a unique dyeing technique which is
used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to
dyeing and weaving the fabric.
Ikat
has come from the Malay Language which means “to bind”.
The
dyeing process of ikat is different from other resist dyeing techniques, as in
this the yarns are dyed before being woven into cloth.
In
other resist-dyeing techniques such as tie-dye and batik the resist is applied
to the woven cloth, whereas in ikat the resist is applied to the yarns before
they are woven into cloth. Because the surface design is created in the yarns
rather than on the finished cloth, in ikat both fabric faces are patterned.
Origin
Textile
historians are still trying to figure out ikat’s place of origin, since this
textile art can be seen far and wide. One interesting fact, though – the word
ikat has come from the Malay-Indonesian word Mengikat, which means to tie a
bundle of yarn or threads.
In
India, sources of Ikat patterns, dating back to 7th Century are available. It
is made into stunning materials, sarees, ethnic and fusion-wear. Ikat kurtas
are much loved in India, and so are Ikat saris, with more than 9-10
varieties/variations of Ikat techniques and scores of patterns available in
this marvellous art.
India
In
India, it is mainly popular in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha. All three
states have their own ikkat weaving designs.
In
fact, the fine quality of ikat from India became so popular that at one point
in history, ikhat was taken as currency on the famous Silk Route which further
helped develop the ikat form in the Afghan region and Uzbekistan.
Types of Ikat
Warp Ikat
It
is only the warp yarns that are dyed using the ikat technique. The weft yarns
are dyed a solid colour. The ikat pattern is clearly visible in the warp yarns
wound onto the loom even before the weft is woven in. Warp ikat is, amongst
others, produced in Indonesia; more specifically in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Sumatra
by respectively the Dayaks, Torajans and Bataks.
It
is the weaving of weft yarn that carries the dyed patterns. Therefore, the
pattern only appears as the weaving proceeds. Weft ikats are much slower to
weave than warp ikat because the weft yarns must be carefully adjusted after
each passing of the shuttle to maintain the clarity of the design.
It
is a technique in which both warp and the weft are resist-dyed prior to
weaving. Obviously it is the most difficult to make and the most expensive.
Double ikat is only produced in three countries: India, Japan and Indonesia.
The double ikat made in Patan, Gujarat in India is the most
complicated. Called "patola," it is made using fine silk yarns
and many colours. It may be patterned with a small motif that is repeated many
times across the length of a six-meter sari. Sometimes the Patan double ikat is
pictorial with no repeats across its length.
It
is one of the Ikat saree and Pasapalli ikat saree made in Odisha. The word
Pasapalli comes from 'Pasa' which means a board game with four clear parts
(much like Ludo). Each pasapalli ikat saree or material - which is made with
the same technique as the Sambalpuri Ikat - has some or the other form of this
chequered design.
Ikat
is produced in many traditional textile centres around the world, from India to
Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan (where it is called kasuri), Africa,
and Latin America. Double ikats—in which both the warp and weft yarns
are tied and dyed before being woven into a single textile—are relatively rare
because of the intensive skilled labour required to produce them.
Sanskriti
Studio – Ek Badlav
Venture
to promote Traditional Indian Wear
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