Stencils

Katazome: Stencil Making & Printing

The stencil making and printing was one of my favorite projects. Known as Katazome, it is a process of cutting stencils made of persimmon paper and then printed through a net, similar to silkscreening, with a paste resist onto fabric. After the paste is dry, the fabric is then dipped into the indigo dye with the fabric held by simple hangers. You will see examples here of stencils we made, some by cutting with knives, and others by using found leaves and stems. I realized later after our subsequent field trips that next time I will design more detailed stencils and also plan for repeating prints. The stencils can also be full illustrations of scenes, characters and a variety of themes. I'm very excited to continue with this technique.
See links below for the full tour of the Japan Textile Workshop & Tour 2015