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Stencil Dyeing (katazome)

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Katazome: a bird's eye view

I'm excited to introduce you to this wonderful traditional Japanese art! As you know, a Squidoo lens is always evolving. If you have resources you would like me to include in this lens, please don't hesitate to contact me!

This lens is an overview of the katazome, or stencil dyeing process as I have learned it. I have left many details out. If you are interested in learning the art and fine craft of katazome, please see my resource section!

The image shows my heron design, created with natural pigments on 50/50 linen cotton.

What is katazome, or stencil dyeing?

A traditional Japanese surface design technique

Katazome, or stencil dyeing, is a fabric surface design tradition that developed in Japan hundreds of years ago. Rice paste resist is spread, or "printed," through a hand-cut stencil with a wooden spatula. When the paste is dry, it becomes a dye-resistant, strong, and yet water-soluble surface. The fabric is then dyed with brushes, and air cured. Finally, the paste is washed away to reveal the pattern.

Katazome is an earth-friendly process, and uses ingredients that can be tossed in the compost. It requires much less water than the chemical dyeing processes that I have used in the past. Plus, the colors are much more permanent (light and wash-fast). Following is an overview of the steps, as I learned them from John Marshall of Covelo, California (please see my resources for links to John Marshall's wonderful website, which is full of resources and instruction).

The stencil

designing, cutting, preparing for pasting

The stencil is cut from a special Japanese paper, called shibugami, which is made from layered mulberry (kozo) paper, waterproofed with persimmon tannin, and then cured with smoke. A fine silk netting is attached to the front of the stencil to strengthen and protect it. Stencils are waterproof and sturdy, and can last for centuries if well cared for!

I love the challenge of stencil design! One must simplify yet combine elements in a pleasing way. I enjoy focusing on negative space and the graphic quality of the positive and negative relationships!

The image shows my original heron stencil, which I used to create my Blue Heron design.

John's Marshall NEW DVD on Stencil Design

Great resource for learning!

John Marshall Just released the first in a series of instructional DVDs that teach the Katazome process, called Journeys in Katazome. The first one features the stencil creation process. I just ordered my copy today and look forward to viewing it!
(The image is a detail from my owl stencil, recently used to create some pillows.)

Books to help you with stencil design

Whether you are a student of katazome or a collector, you will find some examination and study of traditional Japanese katazome stencil designs worthwhile. Here are several books that feature traditional stencil designs.
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Preparing the fabric

stretching and sizing with soybean milk

Soybean milk a is a protein-based substance that has more than one role in the katazome process. First, before pasting, it is used to size the cloth in order to prevent the dyes from wicking. During the dyeing phase of the process, it becomes a binder for the pigments. Finally, after the fabric has air cured, the soy sizing helps prevent wrinkling and makes the fabric naturally resistant to drips, drops and stains! Those amazing soy beans just keep on giving!

Soybean milk is easy to make - you just need soybeans, water, a blender, and a scrap of muslin. (See John Marshall's book, Salvation through Soy, for all the delicious details! )

The image shows my fabric stretched on the simple traditional katazome stretching equipment (harite - or clamps, and shinshi - or bamboo stretching sticks).

Soybean milk

freshly made

I thought you'd want to see what freshly-made soybean milk looks like. It's not flavored like the stuff you buy at the health food store, although I'm sure it is drinkable! The "crumble" is what's left after whirring the beans in the blender (they soak overnight in the frig). I toss the crumble in my compost.

Rice paste resist - part 1

before steaming

Rice paste resist has 3 primary ingredients - water, sweet rice flour and rice bran. Sweet rice flour (mochiko) is high in gluten content and makes the paste sticky and elastic. The rice bran (komon-nuka) enables the paste resist to "break" along the edges of the stencil design. It is a lovely light brown color and smells good. Here are the before and after pictures. I steam my paste for about 40 minutes. The doughnut-hole sized balls turn from a light tan to sort of a roasted peanut-butter color from the edge to the core.

Rice paste resist - part 2

after steaming

Another picture for you. Can you see the color change?

Rice paste resist - part 3

after mixing

Whew! When I make rice paste I always remember my grandmother who had a very strong arm from mixing chocolate chip cookie dough, bread and other wonderful baked goods. She always brought cookies when visiting the grandchildren!

Pasting through the stencil

This step looks a little like printmaking.

The rice paste is spread through the stencil with a wooden spatula. Then the fabric is stretched again and allowed to dry before dyeing.

Once dry, the rice paste resists the dye in the pattern defined by the stencil. In other words the rice paste resist flows through the open areas of the stencil, creating a mask which protects the base color of the fabric.

The image shows my pasting work in progress on my work table. The glare of my overhead lights is reflecting on the wet rice paste resist!

The pigments

making the dye paints

In the katazome process, soybean milk also acts as a binder for the natural pigments, which come in powder form. Pigments are mixed with a bit of water in a mortar and pestle, then added to fresh soybean milk to make dye paint.

Pigment is just another word for paint, meaning the color is suspended in the binder (in this case soybean milk), as opposed to dye, which penetrates the fiber and must be used with a mordant in the case of natural dyes. In katazome, the pigments are bound to the surface of the fabric, and yet barely change the "hand," or feel, of the cloth.

The image shows the pigments in the mortar and pestles.

The paints

Yay! Playing with colors!

The image shows the natural pigments after mixing with fresh soybean milk, atop my handy-dandy rusty lab cart. I can wheel it around my work so it's right where I need it. The pigments settle out in the mixture, so must be stirred a bit before each application.

Brushing on the colors

I love the whole process, but especially this part!

In katazome, the work is hand-painted. I paint the natural pigment dyes on the cloth in three layers, allowing the work the dry between each layer. This ensures that the colors lock into the fibers permanently, and gives an even coverage. This is comparable to the multiple glazes of a watercolor painting.

This is a close-up of the painting process. A somewhat dry brush is used with a gentle scrubbing motion to work the pigments in to the fiber.

Air curing and washing out

tick-tock tick-tock ... patience ... tick-tock

The work hangs in a dry environment for several weeks to several months so that the soybean milk can oxidize, locking the colors in. I cure my work for a minimum of two weeks before I wash out the rice paste.

Finally, the fabric is soaked gently in water and then rinsed to remove the rice paste and reveal the design.

With this eco-friendly process, there is virtually no color wash-out!

The image shows my work soaking in our lovely dusty-pink bath tub. It's been there for about 15 minutes and you can see how clear the water is! When I disturb the cloth the rice paste will shake loose and cloud the water.

A completed work

Owl Pillow - stencil dyed textile, natural pigments on 50/50 linen/cotton

One of my completed designs.

Katazome and related resources

an evolving list of links

Please contact me if you'd like me to add to this list!
John Marshall
I was introduced to katazome by taking an intensive 6 day workshop from John Marshall, who is an internationally known katazome artist. He creates marvelous artwork, including exquisite garments and wall hangings. He also teaches workshops in katazome and other traditional Japanese dyeing forms from his studio in Covelo, CA, as well as in various locations around the USA. In addition, John sells many supplies for katazome. His website is chock full of information and resources.
Silver Minnow - studio journal of textile artist Kit Eastman
My own blog, where I document my work process, inspiration, struggles and insights, including the katazome process.
Cut and Color
Oregon katazome artist Karen Miller shares her work on her blog. Wonderful work!
Akemi Nakano Cohn
Chicago artist and educator Akemi Nakano Cohn uses traditional Japanese printing/dyeing techniques in her work, including as Katazome and Nassen (color rice paste resist).
Sri Threads (textile gallery in Brooklyn, NY)
Commenting on the world of Japanese folk textiles, from a textile gallery in Brooklyn, NYC.
Earthhues Natural Dyes and Pigments
Natural dyes and pigments. Find out where you can buy them by going to this site.
Textile Center of Minnesota
A fabulous national center for textile and fiber art, promoting textiles and building community through a wide range of opportunities including exhibitions, classes, textile community meetings, a gallery and shop.

More books on katazome

look, learn, read, practice

Here is a short list of books that includes several books that go into greater depth describing katazome. In addition, I've added John Marshall's book on traditional Japanese garment design.
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feedback and comments welcome

  • KavitaKriti Oct 25, 2010 @ 2:52 pm | delete
    Really nice lens. The techniques look so similar to painting on silk but with their own intricacies. I can imagine this is a lengthy yet satisfying process :)
  • enslavedbyfaeries Mar 4, 2010 @ 3:39 pm | delete
    What a wonderful introduction to katazome! Your tutorial is wonderful and I'm rolling this to my How To Print By Hand lens.
  • silverminnow May 5, 2010 @ 8:19 am | delete
    hey, thanks! I appreciate it!
  • Laniann Aug 17, 2009 @ 6:09 pm | delete
    Very well done - with a great job of explaining the details of the process. Welcome to Squidoo. 5*s
  • chuck76 Aug 2, 2009 @ 11:01 pm | delete
    This is a great lens! It's a very interesting process. Five stars!
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silverminnow

I am a textile artist exploring katazome (stencil dyeing) using natural pigments on cotton, linen, silk and paper. Please visit my blog, Silver Minnow,... more »

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