Batik is both the name of a wax resist dyeing technique, and the finished fabric it  produces.  The photo above shows a true Balinese batik, with its trademark “crackle” design.  In principle it’s fairly simplistic, which belies convention.  I tried my hand at making a batik with the help of Yvonne Sherer (a Jamaican master) a few years back.  Time consuming, complicated and messy (the dye took weeks to fade from my hands) are the buzz-words.  I recommend searching out an indigenous cloth (Bali, Pacific rim, West Indies etc) because when chromatically infused with Island ethnicity, batiks immediately transport you to the beach. Continue reading →