I Love Batik!

The history of batiks goes back 2,000 years, probably originating in Asia. The original fabric background was probably silk as expressed in beautiful silk batik screens in Japan. Batiks are hand-dyed and use a wax resist technique.

The colors of batiks can range between dull browns/greens to the brightest tone-on-tone whites. The colors range from subtle to artsy to vibrant. The depth of the colors causes sellers to describe them as exotic, exquisite, and intense. The colors are arranged in artful combinations and add dimension to the quilt.

The texture of batik feels smooth and silky, almost slippery to the touch. There is a certain sheen that makes a quilter want to "pet" the fabric. It will soften well when washed and flatten when pressed. Batiks have a high thread count and don't seem to shed as much.

My favorite feature of batiks, though, is the themes. I love the lifelike leaves and flowers. I love the swirls and shades of nature.

I love using batik as a natural background for landscape quilts, but I also love cutting them into confetti to use for trees and bushes. Batiks, which are basically the same on both sides, are perfect for landscape flora and fauna.

I love my batiks so much I store them separately from other fabrics in my fabric library (stash!). I keep each and every scrap – no scrap is too small to be used in a rock, a tree, or in a bird!