I thought I would share a little information on a weave called Ikat. Ikat is a term that both refers to a process of weaving and to a finished woven textile. The translation of the term in the Indonesian language is to tie or to bind. What is so special about this process is that the threads are made to be dye resistant and are dyed in almost the same fashion as tye dye. Historians have had a hard time trying to place the origins of this process because the fabrics have not been able last for centuries, but they think that it came about near south and central America.

There is warp ikat, weft ikat, and a double ikat which refers to where the dye resistant process is applied to (on the weft, on the warp, or on both sides). The stands are taken, make of cotton or wool likely, and made into bundles and then treated with a dye resistant material like wax. The dye is then applied and the resistance creates the pattern and when they are strung and woven on a loom. The textiles that have been created are typically stylized in a symbolic motifs but as the textile has modernized it has also come to feature more contemporary designs. The ikat is still typically made on a back strap loom although it can be done on a traditional loom. These textiles are difficult to make because the process that goes into them, but are very beautiful and can vary depending on the culture that produces them. Keep an eye out for ikats or ikat look alike textiles because they are becoming more recognized and popular. And there is your little history lesson for the day

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