2-day workshop taken at The Village in Kyoto with Jun Tomita to learn the basics of yoko-gasuri (weft ikat).
About 5-10 rows of weft thread are woven as a sample first. The selvedge edge is marked with pencil, then the sample is unwoven, taking the thread out in order to measure and gauge the average length required per row.
Two vertical pegs for wrapping weft bundles are arranged at a distance according to the length of weft needed, taking into account the distance the thread must travel around the peg while wrapping, plus a small amount to accommodate shrinkage during dyeing.
The weft thread is wrapped around the pegs 20-30 times (though could be more or less depending on the way it is to be bound for the kasuri pattern). The weft skein is secured with a loop and a figure-8 knot to keep it from tangling during and after dyeing.
A paper or cardboard sample is used as a guide to mark areas to be bound onto the skeins with pencil (symmetrical bindings work nicely). The weft skein is bound according to the pattern using thin plastic strips similar to grocery bags. The plastic strips are about 2cm wide, strong, and stretch a bit, which make them suitable for binding tightly. Bindings are fastened with a strong but easy-to-undo knot.
The skeins are then dyed. For this workshop, we used wool weft thread and chemical dye.
We were advised by Tomita-sensei that bindings which are too close to one another on the skein may not allow sufficient dye penetration for producing clear color blocks. As well, that small bindings work better on smaller(less-dense) skeins, as it is difficult to tie a small area tightly and precisely on a dense skein.
After dyeing, rinsing, and drying, the skeins can be unbound and woven into the prepared warp. It was recommended that we line up a few lines of the warp before weaving in order to find the correct pattern repeat. The center of the weaving is marked with a pin to minimize drifting of the pattern while weaving.
This is the piece I made during the workshop. I wanted to experiment with combining different tying patterns in one area.
We were shown that it is possible to manipulate the pattern slightly by increasing tension on the weft thread, causing the kasuri pattern to drift apart to the right and left, seen at the bottom of the piece. As well, if a weft skein is prepared larger than the needed width, the pattern placement can be shifted and controlled by manipulating the weft thread freely, which can be seen at the top (the area with loose selvedges).
A view of the dyeing room in The Village's workshop.
Here is an example of the work The Village is producing, taken in the gallery on-site. They are doing many interesting things with double-weave.
A sample of the Kasuri made by The Village.
Tomita-sensei's book on kasuri, in english. It contains great information about the basics of accomplishing both weft and warp kasuri, as well as variations on techniques and helpful tips.
Here is a link to Tomita Sensei and The Village's website: https://juntomita.com/