A Living Tradition
REAL IKAT The ikat look is everywhere these days, but most of what you see featured in magazines or blogs is not real ikat, but a print or jacquard made to simulate the look. The work "ikat" comes from the Indonesian mengikat meaning "to tie up." Real ikat is make by skilled craftsmen who tie and dye the design into the yarn before the fabric is hand woven. During the weaving, the yarns move slightly, giving the motifs a distinctive feathery edge known as the ikat look. Look closely at real ikat and you will see that no two motifs are exactly alike. In a real ikat, the front and back of the fabric are the same because the design is in the yarn, not on the surface of the fabric like in a print. Ikat is practiced in a variety of regions - Japan, Guatemala, South East Asia, Africa and India - but in all these areas the process is similar. Meet Laura & Kiran Singh who met in India over 30 years ago. Their first date lasted 36 hours. Au...