Shiozawa Fabrics
Shiozawa Fabrics
Although complex, the production process of this cloth can be broken down into the dyeing of the warp and weft, the production of the ikat thread, the weaving and finishing. Simply speaking, the cloth is a yarn dyed cloth with a pattern created during the weaving process. A raw silk is used and while the background threads are simply dyed, the ikat threads, on the other hand, are prepared following a weaving diagram from which a 'ruler' or template is made. This is used to mark up the thread. The threads are then hand tied with a cotton thread, and dyed by rubbing the dye into the thread where appropriate. Having brought the background warp and ikat thread together, they are set up on the loom and weaving can finally begin. During the weaving, it is important to see that each ikat thread is correctly placed within the pattern. Great care is also taken during the weaving not to confuse the positioning of the tightly twisted up right-handed and left-handed background weft, which give this cloth its distinctive texture. To finish the cloth it is rubbed in hot water to produce the cloth's very particular crepe effect, which in turn produces a texture and feel of real quality.
Stage 1
Design, Planning: Using a design or sample of cloth, the pattern is first set out on graph paper. Then, a weaving diagram for the ikat is made and such things as the length of the thread, and the positioning of the ikat is planned in detail before moving on to the next stage of production.
Stage 2
Light Twisting: The raw silk is separated out for use as warp and weft background and warp and weft ikat, and then twisted up accordingly. This is the first stage of the twisting, which is done to balance the thickness and strength of the yarn.
Stage 3
Marking, Binding: The weft is stretched out and marked up with black ink to demarcate the extent of the pattern following the ikat rule or template. The marked up sections are then tightly bound so as to 'resist' the dye. If they are not tightly bound, the dye will seep in and ruin the ikat pattern.
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Stage 4
Dyeing: Using a special bamboo spatula, the dyestuff is rubbed into the thread where needed. The dye is then fixed with steam at approximately 100°C.
Stage 5
Tightly Twisting: After the lightly twisted background weft has been refined, it is dyed and starched. Some of it is then given a tight right-handed twist and some a left-handed twist, so as to create a crepe effect.
Stage 6
Setting Up and Weaving: The background and ikat warp are carefully wound up together, making sure not to let the ikat get out of place. Each thread is then passed through the heddle eyes individually. Then two threads together are passed through one dent of the reed. Doing this provides the shed for the shuttle to carry the weft between the raised and lowered warp threads. The standard number of warp threads is 1,500. Having separated the ikat threads, they are wound onto a bobbin for weaving. The background thread with a right-handed twist and those with a left-handed twist are put onto separate bobbins, and clearly marked so that they cannot be confused. Weaving is done on a handloom. While great care is taken not to confuse the positioning of the twisted thread, equal importance is given to monitoring the position of each of the ikat threads in both the warp and weft as weaving progresses.
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Stage 7
Finishing: Any dirt, grime and starch are removed before the cloth is steamed to produce its distinctive crepe effect, and then wound up to a set . The cloth is then checked for any flaws or marks.
