Ikat commonly refers to the dyeing technique that can be closely related to tie-dye. The dyed raw silk is then woven to create various patterns on the fabric. Bundles of yarn are tightly wrapped together and repeatedly dyed to create the design. In Cambodia, the traditional dyes that were used came from natural matters. The Brand implements this historical process. The Bror Hut Tree is used to create yellow shades, Leak Khmer (insect nest) for red tones, black from ebony fruit and blue from indigo. With this process, there is no right or wrong side to the fabric. The material is dyed to create the pattern before the silk has been woven. This defers from the other traditional technique, ‘Uneven Twill’, as the dyeing of the material is done once the silk has been woven. The Ikat process is incredibly complicated, as the design needs to be precisely dyed on to each thread and then correctly place on the loom ready to be woven.
There are three different types of Ikat techniques. These include, Warp Ikat, Weft Ikat and Double Ikat. It can take up to 100 hours to weave one scarf! The intricacy of these methods means that one has to be adequately trained in order to gain weaving skills. In particular, the ‘Weft Ikat’ is the weaving method used for the Brands silk lining.
SILK WEAVING PROCESS
SAO Sreymom, 22 years-old, Silk weaver
I am the only woman in my family who had the chance to go to high school and I have always wanted to do something meaningful that could help my family and my province of Siem Reap. For me, it is essential to contribute to the survival of the great culture of my ancestors and that is how I thought about silk work. In Cambodia, we have so many kinds of exceptional textiles that it would be a pity to forget our traditional know-how.
When a friend of mine told me about the opportunity to get training in silk-making process at Artisans Angkor, I did not know much about weaving work but was eager to learn. Since I started to work here in 2008, I have learned a lot about different Khmer textiles and styles and I think my favorite one is the traditional Phamoung because of its special luster. My work requires a lot of attention and meticulousness; it is demanding but truly rewarding too, especially when I finish a perfect piece of scarf on which I have been working for three weeks!