Emblem: Philip Gorrivan

2/18/11

Ikat: Threads of Life

Ikat (pronounced “ee- caht”, not “eye-cat” )is a textile which is essentially made using a ancient “tie-dye” method. The technical name is actually “resist dyeing”. Part of the threads are tied in bundles and then dyed before they are woven together.

Typically, it is the warp threads (the ones going crosswise) that are dyed, but occasionally the weft (vertical) threads are also dyed. This is known as double ikat.

True ikat textiles are hand-woven on narrow looms. A pattern is created from the resist dyeing as the threads are loomed together. Hand-woven fabrics have a completely different feel and appearance than fabrics made from a machine power-loom production.

Today designers in both fashion and interiors, use ikat in all forms to express their style....

Ikat bowl by Ginori Michael C Fina

Madeline Weinrib's Daphne Blue Ikat

Anthony Todd

Oscar de la Renta showcase room at Lee Jofa

Hot Pink silk Ikat upholstered walls by Muriel Brandolini

Blue and white Ikat dining chairs

"Ties that Bind: An Exhibition Catalogue of Ikat Fabrics" from HERE

Antique Silk Cotton Ikat

Kelly Wearstler's Bengal Bazaar

Ikat-patterned rug

Java dessert plate from Home, James Collection

Study designed by Philip Gorrivan

2/10/11

Home Libraries

When bookshelves of a certain texture touch book covers, the books themselves take on the properties of wood. This has actually been scientifically proven by using a parabolic strut attached to an electrical outlet. Once connected, a spooky thing can happen, causing the book and the wood to actually become one in the universe, which Albert Einstein acknowledged.

Next time you place a book on its shelf, look closely....you may see an electrical spark that travels along the book's spine. This electrical spark actually contains all the information within the book and can be readily captured and read. This is a thing all librarians can attest to! Have you ever seen a librarian's hair....what a mess!