DRAGONFLIES, 55" x 43". Photo: Don Ferguson.

urface design has moved into The old stencils are intoxicating in the the quilt world in a big way beauty, virtuosity, and inventiveness of sinceS I started quilting 16 years ago. My their designs. Thirteen years ago I cut my passion is katazome, Japanese stencil dyeing, fi rst stencil in a workshop with a Japanese and with it I can produce almost any fabric indigo dyer and it literally turned my imaginable. Katazome is not limited to quilting life around. traditional indigos, nor is it too diffi cult Stencils are cut from a handmade for the average quilter to master. Hugely paper called shibugami (persimmon paper), versatile, this is the perfect technique for made from several layers of thin white limited production of patterned fabrics mulberry fi ber paper, laminated with fer- (multicolored cottons, linens, and silks) at mented persimmon juice (kakishibu), and home, without fancy equipment or bulky smoked. The persimmon tannins preserve machinery. the paper just as tanning preserves leather. Katazome fabric design is made with a Chestnut brown in color, it smells like by Karen Miller rice paste resist (nori), applied by means of incense. It is brittle when dry so it can a paper stencil (katagami). Once the paste easily be cut into delicate patterns using an is dry, the fabric can be dyed or painted. X-acto® knife and a soft vinyl mat. After Washing off the resist reveals the pro- cutting a stencil, I attach a layer of silk tected fabric underneath. mesh to the top. This holds all the little This technique has been used in Japan bridges together and makes the stencil for hundreds of years. A book of antique strong enough to stand up to repeated use. stencil patterns that I purchased years ago While it can take from a few minutes to fueled my desire to master this ancient many days to cut a stencil, depending on KATAZOME craft and produce fabrics for my own its intricacy, when fi nished it is a durable use as an art quilter and surface designer. tool that will last for years.

28 AMERICAN QUILTER March 2009

19-34_march09.indd 28 12/26/08 1:17:02 PM When it is wet, the brittle paper becomes Making a stencil leathery and waterproof. It clings to the fabric, making the paste much less likely to creep under the stencil. The paste is made from equal parts sweet rice fl our, rice bran, and water. The bran, a byproduct of pol- ished white rice fi nely milled just for dyeing, reduces the stickiness of the cooked rice fl our, which otherwise would be diffi cult to handle and to remove from the fabric. After steaming the raw dough, I add lime and glycerin to preserve it and to keep the dry paste from cracking. It looks like warm peanut The stencil is cut from shibugami paper. The tool shown is a butter, smells like brown rice, and is elastic Japanese knife but an X-acto knife with a #11 pointed blade and smooth. also works. For large images, photocopy the image in sections onto tracing paper, attach the tracing paper to the stencil paper with repositionable spray adhesive, and cut through both layers.

Detail, DRAGONFLIES Small holes are cut in the stencil paper A layer of silk mesh is attached to the with a hollow stylus. face of the stencil with latex enamel paint. I spread it through the stencil with a spatula, lift off the stencil, and let it dry. The dry paste is durable enough to be dipped into an indigo vat for a minute or two. Since indigo requires repeated dips to build up stable deep blues, it must dry between dips. The paste is soaked off in warm water, and it is just mag- ical to watch the pattern appear. The tiniest details remain crisp and clear. It is not durable enough for other vat dyes, with their longer immersion times. But pasted fabric can be stretched in a frame or hoop or held length- wise by traditional Japanese stretchers. At this point any dye that can be thick- The fi nished indigo bamboo panel made from this stencil ened enough not to soak under the paste can Photos: Edward Miller be used to apply the color.

March 2009 AMERICAN QUILTER 29

19-34_march09.indd 29 12/26/08 1:17:05 PM I typically prefer watercolor The basic katazome process pigments mixed in fresh soy milk for the lovely shading effects I can achieve, but thickened fi ber reactive dyes, direct or acid dyes, Setacolor transparent textile paint, and many natural dyes are all successful. My background is in marine biology, and I am fascinated by tree and leaf skeletons, diatoms, fossils, or anything with a detailed struc- ture. As my art has evolved, I have 1. Start with a completed stencil. 5. Carefully remove the stencil and let the moved away from the traditional paste dry. Japanese patterns and have begun designing my own stencils using these natural forms, both realistic and abstract. What I retain, and this I share with the Japanese art- ists, is a deep appreciation for the natural world.

2. The paste is mixed and ready for steaming. 6. Dye the background with powdered water- colors in freshly prepared soy milk.

3. Stir the cooked paste. 7. More dye details are added.

4. Spread the paste evenly through the STRATA , 38" x 40". Photo: Don Ferguson. stencil.

Photos: Edward Miller 8. Remove the paste to reveal the fi nished fabric.

30 AMERICAN QUILTER March 2009

19-34_march09.indd 30 12/26/08 2:16:08 PM