Ah, BATIK – this type of fabric is considered an evergreen, an art, everyone loves BATIK in it’s many forms and is one of the most popular items of choice for visitors to take back home or for the many local residents to adorn their villas. Whether your look is rustic or contemporary, Batik is a material that can work in well with existing fabrics, be it - fashion, accessories, table & bedlinens, cushions, perhaps to use as a decorative wall hanging.
Traditional Batik hails from the island of Java (although many of the Indonesian islands make their own style of ikat/handwoven fabric) you can find Batik in the souks of Morocco, the markets of Africa and antique stores worldwide. A piece of Batik is generally made up of a pattern and tells a story; of life in the village, fishing scenes, farmers in the fields, of Chinese legends. The cost of Batik does depend on the type of fabric used, but it’s very much determined by the intricacies of the pattern on cloth.
The process of Batik is firstly to prepare the fabric by; boiling the cloth, a treatment of oil, and beating the cloth to soften the fibers so the wax can be absorbed. The waxing process begins where an implement called a ‘canting’ is dipped into the hot wax & applied to part of the design on the fabric. When dry, the fabric is immersed into a dye pot so that the unwaxed part of the fabric is colored. The dye becomes ‘fixed’ and then this process of waxing & dyeing is repeated until the piece of cloth is completed. The more colors that are used, the more expensive the piece of Batik becomes.
Hand Drawn (Batik Tulis) is the most expensive of Batik to produce, the pattern can be drawn on one or both sides of the fabric usually on cotton or silk.
Stamped (Batik Cap) can also be a little imperfect as the hand drawn variety, depending how the ink stamp is applied to the fabric & then lifted from the fabric.
Where the traditional method of drawing is performed, the fabric is not laid down but hung on a wooden. Batik styles/colors vary from region to region & village to village around the island of Java (West Java produces very different Batik from central Java & the East)
Of course there’s loads of Printed Batik, the mass processed variety, performed on heavier cotton which can take the printing process well, the printed variety is inexpensive & a very popular material for use by the fashion & homewares industry.
Batik is an ancient & traditional art and when you visit Lucy’s Batik, ask the staff to show you the various styles of Batik, it’s clearly a fascinating subject that many people are hooked on. Lucy’s Batik has the lot displayed in a large showroom with plenty of space to wander. Some of the newer items that have been made up with Batik are small squares of patchwork that have been sewn together to form a throw for a bed or chair. Even a carpet/mat has been made from strips of Batik that have been closely woven together which is most effective. A huge assortment of items - slippers, hats, bags, halter neck dresses & tops, shorts, place mats, napkins & runners and how inventive are craftspeople here to apply this same Batik process to wooden items as well as fabric!
Lucy’s Batik, (retail & wholesale) orders can be taken for a special hand drawn piece, but like all art it takes time. Jl Raya Basangkasa, No 88, Seminyak.
T: 795 1275 www.lucybatik.com
For comments and enquiries, email: retailtherapym@yahoo.com.au
