Ikat: The Woven Wonder!

Ikat: The Woven Wonder! 

You cannot talk about handloom clothes without mentioning Ikat. Fabric woven in this elegant and intricate weave is not just a fabric but a piece of art. Intricately woven Ikat clothes reflect the wearers’ finer taste and stature. Their impeccable designs also represent the hard work, dedication and patience of the expert weavers. 

What is Ikat?

Ikat is an age-old resist dyeing technique used to create a distinct style of textile patterns. The bundles of yarn are bound with tight wrapping to form the desired pattern. The weaver dyes each thread of the fabric with precision at various spots over its length. This process may be repeated multiple times to produce elaborate, multi-colored patterns. Once dyed and dried all the bindings are removed and the yarns are set on Handloom.  

Ikat’s uniqueness lies in the very complex process of weaving which reveals the desired design motifs. This entire process of dyeing, washing, drying, setting up of loom, and weaving takes several days, weeks or even months to complete depending on the intricacy of the design and the number of colors used. The complicated patterns are more difficult to imagine & create and take more time, therefore are more expensive. 

How to recognize Hand Woven Ikat?

Because the dye is applied to yarn directly instead of the woven fabric, designs of Ikat fabric are equal on both sides unlike surface printing by machines. If you can easily tell the difference between the two sides of the fabric then it’s not hand-woven Ikat Fabric. 

Another characteristic of Ikat is an apparent "blurriness" of the fabric around the edges of the design. The blurriness is a result of the extreme difficulty with which the weaver has lined up the dyed yarns so that the pattern comes out perfectly in the finished cloth. The blurriness can be reduced by using finer yarns or by the skill of the craftsperson. Ikats with little blurriness, multiple colors and complicated patterns are more difficult to create and therefore often more expensive. However, the blurriness that is so characteristic of ikat is often prized by textile enthusiasts. 

Ikat is produced in many traditional textile centers around the world, including India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Africa, and Latin America.

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujrat and Odisha are significant centers where Ikat fabric is woven in India. Every state has its distinct patterns, styles and color combinations.  At Vassundhara we source Ikat Fabrics from the best weavers of the craft and make sure you get an authentic experience! 

To check Carefully Curated Collection of authentic hand-woven IKAT suits with dupatta  please click on the following link

https://www.vassundhara.com/categories/ikkat-weave

By Puja Malik