About Katazome

Katazome is the traditional art of Japanese Stencil Dyeing.

See me on Oregon Art Beat explaining and demonstrating Katazome.

I also teach introductory and advanced classes where students learn how to do this for themselves.

Katazome Step by Step

  • Cutting the Stencil

    First a stencil is cut from handmade Japanese paper called “shibugami”. When it is finished a layer of silk mesh is attached to the front of the stencil to strengthen it.

  • Adding resist paste

    A resist paste is prepared from rice flour and rice bran and water, cooked until it is smooth and elastic. This paste is applied to the fabric through the stencil with a spreader called a “hera”.

  • A person lifting a japanese stencil off of resist paste

    Removing the Stencil

    The stencil is lifted off and the paste is allowed to dry before dyeing. Fabrics can either be dipped into an indigo vat multiple times to achieve dark blues, or they can be stretched like a hammock and painted.

  • Fabric is stretched outdoors for dyeing.

    Stretching Fabric

    Fabric is stretched outdoors from clamps called “harite” at the ends and bamboo stretchers called “shinshi”.

  • hanging blue fabric panels drying in the sun

    Drying

    Many shades of indigo fabric drying.