Have you worked with Batik fabrics before? It’s such a beautiful interesting fabric with amazing history, so we thought we would share with you a handy Batik fabric guide all about these incredible fabrics.
Boring Legal Bit: If you follow any tutorial or guidance found in this post, or on this blog, you agree to be bound by our disclaimer which can be viewed here
Recently we have seen a rise in the popularity of Batik fabrics, but they have actually been around for over 2000 years! Batiks have such an interesting history, believed to have originated in Asia and India used for making batik clothing.
What is Batik Fabric?
Batik is an indonesian technique where areas of the design are blocked out by applying hot wax. Then, a dye is applied on top and the parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original colour leaving the pattern drawn in wax. This process can be repeated to create layers of beautiful elaborate design. After the final layer, the wax is removed in hot water and the fabric is ready with the batik pattern resisted.
Contemporary Batik textiles designers use a wide range of techniques to create different textures including etching, spraying, marbling and cracking. They also use wooden stamps, brushes, stencils and different kinds of wax such as soya wax to get different effects.
Due to the nature of the process, you will find Batik fabrics look very similar and there is no distinct ‘wrong side’ of the fabric, it completely depends on the look you’re going for. This is because the wax sinks into the fabric so it becomes almost double sided.
Some batiks have a bold print but others may have a more subtle look which work great as blender fabrics. As you can imagine, throughout the years they have been very popular in dressmaking.
Batik is great as quilting fabric but also a great choice for applique as they tend to fray less. They have a tight weave and dense thread count, so may feel a bit stiffer than other fabrics.
Batik Tips
It’s recommended that you pre wash Batik fabrics, to help prevent the dye from running. Hand washing is best, do check before putting it into the washing machine.
When washed, air drying is recommended, but out of direct sunlight. Don’t wring out the excess water after soaking and if you must use a tumble dryer, do so on a low heat setting.
Use a sharp needle when sewing, as you will find they have a tighter weave than other fabrics.
Where can I buy Batik Fabric?
We sell lots of different colours and designs over on our website Plush Addict, a fabric superstore based in the UK!
So, what will you be making with your bold Batiks? Will you be making unique bags, gorgeous quilts or a beautiful batik dress to wear? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Never miss a guide or tutorial
Click to join our mailing list!