The Art of Resist DyeingChinese textiles are globally popular nowadays. But do you know an

The Art of Resist Dyeing

Chinese textiles are globally popular nowadays. But do you know anything about the traditional Chinese dyeing techniques which have been used for centuries to create intriguing patterns and designs on fabrics？

Dating back as far as 2,000 years ago, the traditional Chinese dyeing techniques have been fashionable off and on in different times. They centered on three basic types of resist dyeing, including tie-dyeing(jiaoxie or zharan), batik(laxie or laran), and clamp-resist dyeing(jiaxie or jiaran). In the language of dyeing, a resist is just what the word implies, a substance or process that stops dye from dyeing the fabric in certain places.

Tie-dyeing

The concept behind tie-dyeing is to restrict the dye from reaching certain areas of the cloth, this is achieved through the use of knots, threads, rocks, sticks and rubber bands. The color of the parts the dye reaches changes but the restricted parts stay untouched, giving a pleasant color contrast.

This method appeared in the 3rd to 4th century in China and is still used today. Bright colors, an unlimited variety of patterns and color combinations, and the simplicity of the techniques contribute to its enduring appeal.

Tie-dyeing is a time-honored handicraft of the Bai ethnic group, who mainly inhabit southwest China's Yunnan Province. To make the dye, woad(菘蓝) leaves are collected and fermented in a pit until they are indigo(靛蓝) in color. White cloth is tied and sewn into various patterns by hand and then dyed. After the cloth is dried and rinsed, designs of bees, butterflies, plum blossoms, fish, or insects appear with an artistic effect that cannot be achieved by painting.

Different kinds of dyes are available in stores and tie-dying is a simple process which is a lot of fun to do. All you need is a piece of fabric, dye, and fasteners to keep the dye from penetrating and to create patterns. Why not have a go following these easy steps？

Wash the material to remove any chemicals that may be in the fabric;

Dry the material completely before dyeing;

Tie it with patterns you like using fasteners;

Add the dye. Be sure to use enough dye to fully saturate the material;

Allow the fabric to dry completely before removing the fasteners;

Remove the fasteners and admire your artwork;

Wash the material thoroughly in cold water.

Batik

If you go to southwest China's Guizhou Province, known as the home of batik, batik clothes are likely to be the first things to catch your eye.

The history of batik can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD 24). It used to be popular in both central and southwest China. Somehow, the technique was lost in central China, but it has been handed down from generation to generation among the ethnic people in Guizhou.

Batik, also known as wax-resist dieing, is a form. of dyeing or printing folk art made by applying beeswax(蜜蜡) to create different shapes. Some of the designs on these batiks are bold, while others are fine and delicate. Wherever it appears on garments, scarves, bags, tablecloths, bedspreads, curtains, and other decorative items, the style. is always simple and elegant.

A folktale about batik's origin goes like this: Long, long ago, there was a girl living in a stone village called Anshun, now a city in Guizhou Province. She was fond of dyeing white cloth blue and purple. One day, while she was working, a bee happened to land on her cloth. After it flew away, she found a white dot left on the cloth, which looked very pretty. This discovery is said to have led to the use of wax in dyeing.

Batik cloth made in Guizhou goes through four processes: waxing, painting, de-waxing and rinsing.

First a piece of white cloth is placed on a

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