Southeast Asia to South America to the Middle East and beyond, this type of pattern now lends interiors a kind of dressed-up bohemian vibe.
Let me explain. The word 'ikat' (pronounced 'ee-KAHT') comes from the Malaysian word 'mengikat,' or 'to tie,' because the loose threads are tied into bundles using grasses or wax-treated cotton to specify where the dye is able to sink in and color the thread (basically a refined type of tie-dye). Ikat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process 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. Ikat is one of the most historically ancient forms of textile in Southeast Asia (the photograph shows a Lio ikat from Flores) . Some historians of cloth assert that ikat technologies date to the Bronze Age. This hand-loomed cloth type is also found in southern China, Japan, Central Asia, and in parts of Africa. Ikat is produced in many traditional textile centres around the world, from India to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan (where it's called kasuri), Africa and Latin America. Ikat is a style of weaving that uses a tie-dye process on either the warp or weft, before the threads are woven to create a pattern or design. A Double Ikat is when both the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. Ikat means tied or bound in the Malay language which describes the process. Through common usage the word has come to describe both the process and the cloth itself. Ikats have been woven in cultures all over the world. Ikat Fabric Pillows Our ikat pillows come from a village in the Far East that still practices the ancient art of warp and weft weaving. The patterns that define Ikat fabric are realized through resist dyeing the threads before weaving them. The result is a fabric with depth, bold graphics and a modern look. Ikat man's coat from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, circa 1910. Ikat is everywhere these days — as trendy as anything ancient can ever claim to be. Visible in traditional textiles ranging from Southeast Asia to South America to the Middle East and beyond, this type of pattern now lends interiors a kind of dressed-up bohemian vibe.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/warped-the-story-behind-ikat-r-105283 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikat http://college.holycross.edu/projects/ikat/what_is_ikat.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikat http://www.fabricadabra.us/ikats.html http://www.decorativethings.com/ikat-fabric-pillows.html http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/warped-the-story-behind-ikat-r-105283
where does ikat come from