What is ikat? The blurred-edge woven pattern

Why the edges look feathered

No matter how carefully the yarns are bound, the dye creeps a little under the ties and the threads shift slightly as they are set up and woven. So the edges of every motif come out soft and blurred, as if drawn with a dry brush. That feathering is the hallmark of ikat, and in good handwoven pieces it is admired rather than hidden. There are three main kinds.

• Warp ikat: only the lengthwise threads are patterned, so the design is visible on the loom before weaving; the most common kind.
• Weft ikat: only the crosswise threads are patterned, which is harder to keep aligned as each row goes in.
• Double ikat: both sets of threads are patterned and must meet exactly; the rarest and most complex.

Woven ikat and printed ikat-look

Because handwoven ikat is slow to make, many fabrics sold as ikat are printed copies: the pattern is printed onto finished cloth, with the blur drawn in. Neither is wrong, but they are different products and should be described honestly. Three checks usually tell them apart.

First, turn the cloth over: on woven ikat the pattern is equally strong on the back, because the colour is in the yarn, while a print is paler behind. Second, compare repeats: printed blur is identical in every motif, while woven ikat varies a little each time. Third, look at the selvedge, where woven ikat often shows the dyed sections of the yarn. Our article on the right and wrong side of fabric explains the first check, and block, digital and screen prints covers how printed patterns are made.

What to say when sending ikat for a kameez

Ikat motifs are often bold and sometimes run in one direction, so a few details are worth stating. Handwoven ikat can also be narrower and slightly irregular in width, and hand-dyed colours can run, so a colour-fastness test is a sensible first step. Photograph the whole length laid flat, as shown in how to photograph fabric for a quote.

• Which way up the pattern should run
• Whether motifs should line up across the centre front and side seams
• Where you want a bold motif to sit, or not to sit, such as over the bust
• Whether you are happy to have the pattern unmatched to save fabric

Where ikat works

Ikat suits simple cuts that let the pattern speak: straight kurtas, kameez, co-ord sets, waistcoats and dupattas. A busy ikat usually pairs best with plain trousers in one of its colours, as pairing printed and plain pieces explains. If you have ikat to make up, our Stitching Only service means you send it to us in Pakistan after we confirm it is suitable and there is enough for the matching you want. Start a stitching-only quote.