IKAT - is
a type of weaving where the warp, weft or both are tie-dyed before
weaving to create designs on the finished fabric. Great care must
be taken in tying resist areas with water repellent material such
as bicycle inner tubes cut into strips. The precision of the wrapping
determines the clarity of the design. After wrapping, the warp threads
are dyed. When finished and unwrapped, the areas under the ties have
stayed the original colour. Numerous colours can be added after additional
wrappings. Designs generally are worked out on graph paper. Great
care must be taken in putting the warp on the loom, keeping all the
threads in position is necessary for the design to work. The natural
movement during weaving gives ikat designs a feathered edge which
characterize this technique. It is an exacting process. |
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Gujarat, in northern India is home of one of the most famous ikat traditions called
the Patan Patola. The silk fabrics are double
ikat, traditionally done with vegetable dyes, but now using chemical dyes.
The complexity of having both the warp and weft resist dyed makes the
actual weaving much more demanding of precision. The intersection of these
threads must be precise or the design is lost.
A sari length takes two men seven months to complete. Therefore it is
no wonder that Patola weaving is dying out, with only two families remaining
at the craft. These saris are prized pieces , but have been so throughout
history. Mr. Salvi weaves on the special suspended |
| Koyalagudum, Andra Pradesh is one of the busiest hand weaving villages centred
around a co-operative producing thousands of metres of ikat each month.
They specialize in warp ikat particularly suitable for furnishing
fabrics made from cotton. Saris are also produced, this demand never
ending as the average middle class woman owns at least 100 saris.
Each weaver works from home with all the family helping in different
processes. Perhaps the grandmother is winding bobbins, while the wife
is marking out the design on warp threads and the husband is weaving
on a pit loom in the main living area. In one corner rice is being
sieved and tamarind is spread out. A child wanders around and a baby
is in a hammock. Life revolves around weaving. |
Large warping mill speeds the process of winding long warps. |
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ORISSAN style of ikat has a long tradition dating back at least to
the 12th century. Weavers supposedly migrated from the Patan area bringing the
basic techniques which then developed over time to a unique style
of flowing designs. The resist tying is done finely on two-thread
units giving greater detail and fine curves. These units are tied
freehand without marking out the threads beforehand.
Generally the designs are outlines in white.
These men are
opening out a newly dyed warp which displays the design clearly even before weaving.. |
