Design Resource
Ikat Textiles of Nuapatna
Tie-Resist-Dye and Weaving
by
Hand Loom
All the warp threads are threaded through the heald eyelet and its gap in the reed prior to weaving. The reed is like a comb and its purpose is to control the separation of the warp threads. In Nuapatna sarees, the warp yarn is plain i.e. has no pattern. These warp yarns are interlaced by the tie-dyed weft (filling) yarns (kept in the shuttle) running along the width of the loom, producing the woven fabric corresponding to the design on the graph.
Weft Ikat weaving is a slow process as the passes of the weft must be carefully adjusted to maintain the clarity of the patterns. Passing the weft shuttle 80 times to and fro weaves about 1 inch of fabric. Most weavers also combine Ikat pattern with a relief texture in the border of the saree (supplementary warp and weft weaves) that makes it a specialty of the region.
