Batik and Tie Dye Techniques

Book excerpt: In this comprehensive, generously illustrated handbook, textile artist and teacher Nancy Belfer leads readers step by step through the technique required to successfully create imaginative and beautiful batiks and tie-dyed textiles. Even beginners, following the instructions in this thorough, thoughtful guidebook, can create colorful and exciting textiles that will add distinctive touches to clothing, home furnishings, and more. The author first reviews the early uses of dyes and the application of resist dye processes to textiles, then explores the history and tradition of batik, emphasizing the traditional Javanese batik method. She then covers every facet of the process of designing and making batiks, from selecting proper equipment and supplies, setting up a studio and making preliminary drawings and sketches to preparing the wax, applying the wax to cloth, applying dyes, and setting color. Ms. Belfer follows a similar format in reviewing the history and traditions of tie dye and the art of designing with tie resist techniques, clearly demonstrating each stage of the process, including tritik, clamping, and discharge methods. Over 100 photographs and 28 diagrams make it easy to follow the various procedures. A helpful list of materials and equipment suppliers rounds out this excellent guide.