Sunday, October 28, 2012

Love Ikat

I seem to be seeing more and more Ikat home furnishing springing up in home wares stores in Sydney. I have been going to Indonesia for many years now and have loved Ikat traditional fabrics for a very long time and it is nice that it is getting the recoginition it deserves. More contemporary designs are being developed using traditional methods. I have my eye on some yellow cushions because as you know I am obsessed with yellow at the moment.

Some facts about Ikat.


The ikat is a traditional hand woven cloth from Indonesia. The word ikat, meaning to ‘tie’ or ‘bind’ in the Indonesian language, implies the process of weaving. Ikat-making includes several stages: spinning the thread, binding and dying the thread; stringing the loom and weaving the cloth. Typically cotton or silk hand-woven thread is used, coloured with natural dyes, such as a native Indonesian indigo plant, Indigofera sumatrana, a common source of blue-black tint and variety of other local dyes. The weaving is done on a back-strap or shaft loom to create intricate cloth designs. - Courtesy of the Australian Museum

































Patterns can vary from country to country and can often be a symbol of status, wealth, power, and prestige. Many ikat fabric patterns we are seeing have one single color with a neutral beige or white background. This is because each strand is arranged into bundles, tied and dyed separately before being attached to the loom and woven into a pattern. My guess it is more cost effective to do things this way. I actually love the one or two colour options available. Bold and simple.  What do you like?

The options are endless on what you can do with this amazing fabric










































Where can I buy it in Sydney????????
rugs - http://www.therugstore.com.au/ikat-rugs-online.php
clothing - http://www.saba.com.au/dresses/ikat-dress/w1/i7849368_1001267/
cushions -  http://www.ecochic.com.au/shop/Shop+by+Category/Homewares+%26+Decor/Accent+Cushions/Ikat+Cushions.html






2 comments:

trishie said...

I do love the ikat printm though I never knew it originated in Indonesia! So colourful and cheery.

PS: I'd like to invite to join the Bosisto's giveaway at my
blog, I have 4 lavender packs up for grabs here: http://www.underlockandkeyblog.com/2012/10/bosistos-lavender-giveaway.html

louise said...

Thank you for the invitation. I agree ikat is so colourful and cheery. Thanks for stopping by.
L:)