Friday, March 27, 2015

block the irrelevant


Thought behind the thought
One of the main reasons why we sometimes don't reach our destination is because we stop along the way and spend time doing things that really do not matter. We take unnecessary detours, stop to understand things in detail, which are probably very irrelevant to the journey that we are making. It is only when we focus on the important, and block out the irrelevant, that we make progress.

 About the Craft
Blocking something to focus on something more important is a technique used in craft as well. As in the case of Batik printing, the craft of creating wonderful textiles.

 Originated in India, the art of batik has come a long way from being a mere handicraft. The word batik actually means 'wax writing' and is a process of decorating cloth by covering a part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. The waxed areas keep their original color and when the wax is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed areas gives the pattern.




 The history of Indian batik can be traced as far back as 2000 years. Indians knew resist method of printing designs on cotton fabrics and Batik tapestries were often elaborate illustrations of the art, culture and traditions of the days of the yore.





The art of batik is a three-stage process of waxing, dyeing and dewaxing (removing the wax). There are also several sub-processes like preparing the cloth, tracing the designs, stretching the cloth on the frame, waxing the area of the cloth that does not need dyeing, preparing the dye, dipping the cloth in dye, boiling the cloth to remove wax and washing the cloth in soap.

The characteristic effects of the batik are the fine cracks that appears in the wax, which allow small amounts of the dye to seep in. Batik wax exercises an important function in the process of batik printing. Proper usage of wax results into an impeccable batik work. 30 per cent beeswax and 70 per cent paraffin wax are generally applied. The common batik fabrics that make for excellent batik prints are cambric, poplin, voiles, and pure silk  and natural colors derived from barks of trees, leaves, flowers and minerals are generally used.


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2 comments:

  1. TruptiMarch 27, 2015 at 11:15 PM

    So true

    ReplyDelete
  2. ManojMarch 29, 2015 at 1:26 AM

    Can we unblock once we reach the destination? May not be as irrelevant as we thought, maybe? Another perspective maybe?

    ReplyDelete

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