Itajime, literally meaning "board-clamping" in Japanese, is a 1300 year old technique of shibori, which uses pieces of wood clamped together around sections of folded fabric to resist dye in particular shapes. Clamp dye is a study in contrasts. Hard steel clamps give form to the fluid cloth. Unyielding wooden blocks translate into soft-edged, almost organic-looking geometric patterns dancing across the cloth.
Traditionally from Japan, this art form was taken up by small communities of skilled & traditional dyeing communities in India.
We partner with the Brothers Khatri & their small team of artisans to create our cloth in a family-run workshop in Bhuj, Gujarat. The art-form involves a laborious & rather technical process of folding, dying & discharging; repeated as many times as there are colours. Each three meter section of fabric is individually hand dyed, ensuring that no two products are exactly the same.
Any variations or irregularities are to be celebrated. They are part of the design & inherent to the handcrafted production process, making this item beautifully unique.
