Do you remember when someone gave you a kaleidoscope for the first time and invited you to peek in? You could be dubious, but you became fascinated at the colors and the complex design on the other side when you looked inside. Tie and Dye is an invitation from generation to generation to a kaleidoscope of fashion, an Indian legacy. Arts and artisans passed their crafts to their kids, and wearers and collectors passed along the towel as an heirloom, a precious watchtower.
ORIGIN OF TIE AND DYE
The origins of this craft are hard to trace to any given region. It first developed as a Leheriya in Jaipur, according to some reports. But Muslim Khatris, still the central community participating in the skill, has been brought to Kutch from Sindh. It is widely accepted. When the city was formed 400 years ago, Bandhni was introduced in Jamnagar. Now, this city has become one of the main Tie and Dye hubs, developing new designs and experimenting with current colors.
BanaBhatt'sHarshacharita, the first mention to Tie and Dye, is that he depicts a royal wedding, "the elder matrons had a variety of textile designs, some of which were linked (bandhya mana)." This material has been used to construct women's skirts. The bride deemed a Tie and Dye robe favorable to the bride. In the Ajanta wall murals, one also finds the maids wearing ties and dyed blues.
TIE AND DYE TODAY
Today women and girls with Malmal (fine muslin), handloom, or silk clothes can be seen sitting in their homes. This tissue is bled first and then folded into 2 or 4 cups, depending on the size of the tissue. The pattern plan is marked by a Rangara or designer with wooden blocks dipped in a geru, the color of the burned Siena blended with water. Then the craftsmen start to tie the cloth that is not to be threaded.
The plugs of the material are lifted and tied together inside the little pattern. The first pair of ties is yellow-colored material. In Rajasthan, most of the material is thin by hand - lipa technique - also used. It is a procedure. Once again, the material is knotted and tinted in red or green. If the rim must be darker, all the lighter sections must be fastened and covered with plastic foil. Repeated fastening and tinting form complex designs.
RAW MATERIALS NEEDED
Bandini's raw ingredients are muslin, handloom, silk tissue, a common thread, starch, and colors for dyeing. Vegetable colors have traditionally been used, but chemical colors have become increasingly popular now. Also fundamental are the equipment - wooden marking blocks and simple tools for thinning.
INDIA’S SIGNIFICANT TIE AND DYE CENTERS
Jamnagar in Saurashtra (in this region, the water is most brightly red while dying) and Ahmedabad are the centers for tying and coloring fabrics, particularly in Gujarat. Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Pali, Udaipur, and Nathdwara are the finest Tie and Dye works of the art of Rajasthan. Rajasthan is famous because of its Leheriyas - meaning waves literally. The diagonal stripes, initially fine-colored, are beautifully arranged in yellow and red colors. Pochampalli is also one of the country's three most important traditional tealing centers.
In Gujarat and Rajasthan, the processes used to make Tie and Dye (Bandhani) vary. In these regions, even designs, designs, and crafts vary. The Rajasthan craftsmen are easily recognizable because they develop a nail on their small finger so they can lift the towel to tie it or wear a small metal ring with a point. Without those supports, the Gujarati craftspeople prefer to labor. When you work with your bare hands, the flow is much better since it ensures no harm to the towel. Textiles are now highly designed in Gujarat for tinting and printing. The two excellent examples of Indian dyer art are Tie and Dye, a sort of tie-resistant dyeing, and Patola.
WIDELY USED COLORS
Tie and Dye colors are widely employed - red, marriage symbol, saffron, a yogi color that renounces the world, yellow that is used for mournings, black and maroon. Material from Tie and Dye is folded and attached to the knots. You must separate the folds to open the knots. The payment shall be made based on the number of points in the pattern.
A sari would have a complex design with about 75000 points. The minute and skillful handling of Tie and Dye's fingers for binding, vast knowledge of colors, and the knowledge of dyeing material are crucial in Tie and Dye. An artisan will have to polish his skill for a few years. Tie and Dye sarees and dupattas are available in most shops in India. However, it is suggested to acquire original material from Rajasthan or Gujarat emporia that have outlets in all major cities or from Priya Chaudhary's label to obtain it.
PREPARATION AND PROCESS INVOLVED IN TIE AND DYE WEAVING
The weaving and dye process begins with the preparation and spinning of the warp and woven silk yarn from the bleached yarn. Squatted on the floor, women fill bobbins with roller threads from early spinning wheels. In the preparation of the warp, which forms the length of the fabric, giant wheels are used. The chain is attached to two separate poles and is designated by design. A fan-shaped wooden frame is used for preparing the weft (which forms the width). The strand after strand of yarn is expertly wound at the other end of the frame between the spikes and the convergent rod.
The yarn is attached to the predetermined pattern marked on it by threads and strips of rubber. The threads are knitted and wrapped individually so that the teeth do not penetrate them when they are tucked in various hues. This strategy is known as dual-thin-thin. Depending on the number of colors the design requires, the binding and thinning procedure is performed numerous times.
The wrappings are carefully deleted when the yarn has cured. The yarn, which is to become the size of the material to be woven, is spread on the loom, and again the weaved yarn is transferred to the wooden framework in the fan form. You can see the patterns developing at this point, ready to be twisted. Chiaki in Telugu is known as a craft for tie-dyed tissue. However, Ikat is its popular name.
The technology involves textile artisans with high expertise and exact calculations. The design is highly colorful, complicated, and very complicated at the same time. A tissue of 20 meters takes almost 15-20 days – the length a weaver can have maximum. Before it is sent to a showroom, the tissue is removed from the loom and given a starch polish.
For more information on beautiful prints and fabrics, visit The Priya Chaudhary Label and buy beautiful pieces from their collection.
Source: HISTORY OF TIE AND DYE
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