Special sewing needles from Kyoto, used for centuries
Techniques & Tools
The centuries old techniques of weaving and dyeing were originally borrowed from China and Korea, but Japanese textiles evolved to a level of skill and complexity unmatched in the world.
Japanese textile crafts involve a process called resist dyeing. Simply it means that something is used to prevent the fabric from being dyed in certain places, i.e. the fabric “resists” the dye.
There are two main types of resist dyeing techniques used in Japan:
- Paste resist
- Freehand using a squeeze cone, known as Tsutsugaki
- Stencil, known as Katazome
- Shaped resist, known as Shibori
Aizome is fabric dyed with indigo dye. This dye was originally developed in China and is made from the fermentation of the native indigo plant. Best known techniques are Shibori, Kasuri and Katazome, each employing a unique method of fabrication. The Japanese also utilize a madder color (reds). Textiles made with multiple colors require more skill and produce more expensive and sought-after fabrics.
Kasuri, is Japanese for ikat, which means “to tie” or “to bind” (from the Malay language). This creates a fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric, utilizing an ikat technique. The threads are bound in a specific way to produce the desired patterns and pictures, a technique created by the Japanese.
Shibori is the Japanese word for numerous ways of manipulating fabrics by shaping and securing it before it is dyed. Shibori is often referred to as “tie dying”. The fabric is bound so tightly that it prevents the dye from coloring the cloth where it is tied, allowing the designer to create wonderful designs and color combinations.
©Kyoto Travel Guide
Yuzen was a true handcraft, extremely labor intensive and expensive.Silk-weaving families in the famous Nishijin area of Kyoto can be traced back to the 15th century. Yuzen dyeing method was invented in the Edo era in the 17th Century. Yuzen is a technique that combines a combination of freehand paste resist and painting, which often includes stencil and shibori techniques. The dyeing technique is used for kimonos, coats and haori. Yuzen dyeing is mostly done using natural plant or mineral pigments and silk crepe.