Ikat-Inspired Spinning/Weaving (Dyeing) Project

The Spring 2020 issue of Spin Off Magazine is host to my spinning, dyeing, weaving project inspired by ikat-style techniques.  I know, that's a little bit of everything, right?  There is an article that discusses using avocados to dye four different types of fiber while using resists to create patterns in the threads.  This culminates in a weaving project planned with handspun yarn that is resist tied and dyed to create a pattern in the cloth.  It was SO MUCH FUN to do, but it was a lot of work.  I'm not entirely convinced the finished product reflects the efforts to get there, but I love it anyway.  It was a beautiful journey.

The scarf was the culmination of skills developed through the article, and I think the magazine did a very nice job of laying out the photos, organizing the pages and showing the cartoon of the ikat-style resists along with the pattern for the scarf.  It is really a lengthy process to get from fluff to finished ikat-inspired cloth; but when I reflect on the number of skilled hands and time that goes into true Ikat masterpieces, this project barely scratched the surface of what it is to be truly an Ikat textile.

I think my favorite part of this particular endeavor of mine was that there are so many different parts that might inspire others.  With both the article and the project, it could be avocado dye, spinning different types of fibers, resist dyeing, ikat-inspired projects, or just the finished project itself that sparks someones artistic journey.  I feel like it is such a lovely way to share an idea, or family of ideas, that a person can really make their own.  Some projects do not always lend themselves to this kind of creative flexibility.  Goodness, this journey has inspired my own creative bug in a million different directions.

I hope you are able to access the article/project and enjoy all the pages have to offer.  I am proud of this work.  It pushed me as a fiber artist to really learn more of the many layers that go into a finished project and really more of myself as I deepened my relationship with fiber craft. 

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