Ikat Conservation

This method is used for compensation of lost areas for the ikat woven technique textiles. The process starts with selecting fabric of a similar weave structure and thread count. The fabric is dyed in the color of the background. The fabric (patch) is treated with a solution to prevent the dye spreading within the patch. Then the patch is aligned with the textile structure  and attached with a basting stitch to the back . Next the loose threads of the perimeter are pulled to the back. The additional color corrected threads of the weft are inserted to join the patch and the original ground. In the process any loose threads of the original warp are woven in. The perimeter is secured with fine silk thread. Then the missing parts of the design are painted on the patch. A template is made if necessary to recreate the design. The last step is a covering patch is attached to the back of the area.

Variations on the Technique