indentifying batiks?
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carencro, Louisiana
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Please contribute any helpful information you may have that will help me in identifying batiks; I sewed for my family for years but never really paid attention to the "names" of the fabrics I might have used. It seems that batiks are very big in quilting and since I am now trying my hand at that, I'd like to be able to engage in intelligent conversation with other quilters if the occasion arises (and also to be able to idenitfy batik if it is called for in a pattern).
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#2
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A batik is made by dyeing fabric, then putting on a design with wax or some others sort of "resist". Then it is redyed. This can happen several times with several colors or shades of the same color, depending on the complexity of the patter, To identify a batik, look at the back side it will be the same as the front (not whitish) and will be colored all the was through the selvedge. Since they are washed several times in the process, they will be preshrunk and a tighter weave than regular cotton. I love working with batiks, and hope this info was helpful.
#3
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
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I agree with Connie. When she says "will be colored all the way through the selvedge", that means there is essentially no selvedge, the fabric is dyed all the way to the edge. This is one of the easiest ways to identify batiks. You might mosey over to your LQS and ask a salesperson to show you where the batiks are, check them out up close and personal.
#4
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Minnesota
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Sometimes people use hand-dyed fabrics instead of the ones with the designs overdyed on them. They are the same weight and feel as batiks, but look more like a tone-on-tone. If a pattern calls for batiks, you could mix them with the hand-dyes. There are many good companies making them, such as Robert Kaufman and Hoffman of California. I, too, love working with them on quilts and purses. Since they are a denser, tighter weave, you need a sharp needle to penetrate the fabric. Also, because there are no selvages as such with identifcation on it, you probably not remember which company it came from. There is a difference in quality. I find that the ones at JoAnn are mostly inferior to the quilt shop ones. You will be able to tell once you get a little more experience with them. Good luck!
#8
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here's a video on the process of making batiks that you might find interesting. The music is awful, and it's a long video. But it's a long process too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=UDsD5sQOF_A
http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=UDsD5sQOF_A
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