-Sold as yardage
-Vintage Japanese kasuri cotton
-Botanically dyed and ikat-woven in the Showa period, 14.5″ wide
-A double-ikat with butterflies in white and crimson on deep black accented with spots of bright yellow and creamy white
PROJECT PHOTOS: To see a jacket and quilt made with kasuri cottons by Kitty Pippen +click here
VIDEO: For an in-depth look at the 30 steps required to produce kasuri cotton +click here (14:40 video]
Ikat-woven cotton, is known in Japan as kasuri.
Precisely planned, the threads are pre-dyed so the patterns are expressed during the weaving process.
Warp threads, weft threads, or both threads can be dyed to create the distinctive blurred edges found in ikat-woven textiles.
The country of Japan has registered kasuri cottons as Intangible Cultural Heritage, defined by the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties enacted in 1950, to preserve skills and arts with high historical value.
This botanically dyed fabric will release color if not pre-washed.
For 3 yards of kasuri cotton, use three color catchers and a little gentle liquid detergent (such as Seventh Generation) in your washer—on the warm wash/cold rinse cycle. Lay out to dry.
Do this three times!
You can check that your fabric is no longer releasing dye by including a swatch of white cotton in your third pre-washing load.