Introduction to Batik

Describes useful equipment, materials, and techniques, explains each step in the batik process, and suggests a variety of projects

Heather Griffin and Margaret Hone were both keen amateur artists when they met at adult education classes. Their interest in batik began when they attended short summer school courses which taught them the techniques of applying waxes and dyes to fabrics. Their interest grew and working from home they started to create batik designs on silk scarves as gifts for friends. Then they decided to attend craft fairs with a range of batik designs on cotton and silk. For some time they travelled around the fairs together, visiting agricultural shows, the Festival Hall, open markets, a castle and even the head office of a brewery! Now, they rarely attend craft fairs. Heather Griffin concentrates mainly on creating batik pictures, while Margaret Hone is working almost entirely on silk, specialising in intricate designs on large scarves. They have brought together a collection of their work in this book to illustrate the beautiful effects that can be simply achieved by followingthe basic steps of batik. Margaret Hone's abstract designs offer a pleasing contrast to Heather Griffin's pictures, illustrating the versatility of this craft.