Katazome Stencils

Katazome

When I was in college, my parents played host family for two visitors from Japan for one week. We learned that traditionally in Japan, little souveniers are given as tokens of appreciation when someone stays with a family. Among other games and toys, our family received a small hand-dyed tapestry with goldfish on it.

Currently hanging in our house, I now know that it was created by a method of hand-dying called katazome.

The word katazome comes from two Japanese words: kata , which means pattern, and zome , dyeing. Similar to batik, katazome is a Japanese method of dyeing fabric using a paste and stencil to create a repeating pattern. It is most commonly used to print traditional kimonos in Japan.

The katazome paste, known as nori , is made up of rice flour. It is a very sticky paste with the consistency of warm peanut butter. This nori, when applied to cloth, permeates the material so that when the fabric is later dyed, the area covered by the paste will remain unchanged. When rinsed off, the paste will leave behind a design on the cloth.

Before the process of katazome can begin, a design needs to be transferred into a piece of mulberry paper, called shibugami . The shibugami is used to make a stencil. The design is cut out of the shibugami using a very sharp knife and a lot of patience. Typically, the design will be reproduced across the entire fabric, so the stencil needs to be used carefully so as not to tear it and to prevent the design from coming out crooked.

Using the stencil, the nori can be applied to the cloth with a brush. This process is continued until the pattern is repeated as many times as needed on the fabric. The stencil is then removed and the paste will be left to dry before the fabric can be dyed.

In katazome, to dye the cloth, the fabric can be dipped into a large vat of color until the desired color is achieved. It also can be stretched like a hammock and hand-painted to incorporate more than one color. Once painted, the fabric must be left to cure for approximately three months so the dyes can become permanent stains. The cure time may be longer or shorter, depending on the type of dye used. Dyes made from natural materials, such as plants or minerals, usually take on the later side of three months to cure. The longer the fabric sits, the richer and more permanent the end result.

After the long wait, the fabric must be rinsed repeatedly in a bath of warm water. This will remove the paste mixure and leave only the dye behind. The pattern and color will show through to the fabric from the front to the back.

Katazome is an inexpensive way to create an all-over pattern on a piece of cloth. It can be used on fabrics ranging from cotton to silk. I hope one day you are able to wrap yourself in a kimono or hang a tapestry made by katazome. It is truly the art of patience.