Ikat is a Kool

A classic IKAT style textile. The yarns are died before weaving,
so the dye determines much of the pattern, waiting to be found by
the weaver. It's kind of a fun "take it as it comes" creative process,
though I'm sure there is quite a bit of intention behind a
skilled weavers ways!

It's not necessarliy anything new. In fact, it's been around far longer than I've been breathing, but Ikat has recently resurfaced in the movement of trends in fashion for home and apparel. It's awesome.

So- it's not ikea, for anyone not as hip to the trends as I am! he he! But it is probably available at Ikea because they are a wonder of cool things for cheap.

Ikat is turning up on the runways and in our homes, it has been for a few season now.
This was a great collage off of Design Sponge to showcase this amazing pattern in all it's varieties!

Ikat is an indonesian word that means alot of things (tie, bind, cord) but as we're seeing it used today in the States its referring to the textile that is created from dyed threads. It has a very ancient background, one of the oldest forms of textile decoration really.

It's made form dyeing the warp and weft of the textile before it's woven. What the warp? The warp and weft are what you call the up/down (warp) and the side to side (weft) yarns in a woven textile. So here's whats happening, you die the yarn first, and kind of like tie-dye you only dip parts of it in the juice. Then after it's cleaned and dried you string it up on the loom and get to weaving. It's amazing stuff!

Basket Weaving from the Yavapai Apache tribe in my home town of Camp Verde AZ

I'm crazy about it because I realized that it is really a "trendy" adoption of my Southwestern Heritage. I grew up with an amazing culture of the Navajo Apache Indian tribes that was so full of beautiful handcrafts. As I look back to those roots as my creative influence, I find this awesome Inspiration! I want to Ikat everything! My credit card, my dog, my bath towel...  it could be anywhere. I think i love it  for it's strong geometry, and in some versions it's great color melting.

A beautiful example of a native weavers handiwork that adorned much of my childhood environment.