Ikat
Ikat is a weaving technique in which the yarn is dyed in sections before processing. Several colors are possible, and sections can also remain uncolored. The term is derived from Malay and means as a verb: tie off, wrap around .
In the simplest case, simple stripes are created on the fabric. By coloring different sections, geometric patterns, but also complex structures can be created. The warp and / or weft threads can be colored. If both thread groups are colored, one speaks of a double icate.
The yarn can be colored by winding it on a drum before applying paint in strips across the direction of the yarn with a brush or similar tool. This results in inaccuracies that can be traced back to different tension on the drum, different absorbency and manual variation. This has the effect that in the finished fabric the border between two colors is not a straight line, but rather jumps back and forth a little from thread to thread - a typical effect for this form of the ikat technique. By combining threads from several drums, geometric patterns can be created that run, for example, in the shape of stairs. This technique is cultivated in Mallorca .
Alternatively, threads or thread bundles can be tightly wrapped in certain sections before they are immersed in a dye solution. As with dyeing entire fabrics using the Plangi technique, these sections of the threads (initially) remain undyed. This technique can be used to create complex and irregular patterns, for example for Indonesian sarongs .
Ikat fabrics were popular as clothing fabrics in Europe under the name Chiné in the 18th century and are still used today for high-quality kimonos in Japan . In East Timor , the Ikat technique is used for the local Tais and Ikat fabrics are also made in Mallorca .
