Video #220: “I get totally lost when I’m claying, time has no meaning.” ~Polyanya
Some designs are just so darn beautiful that they stand the test of time. Such is the case with Ikat Fabric. Some experts believe Ikat Textiles have been around since the 6th century, and still to this day they are very popular in fashion and home decor.
In fact just this last week I saw a gorgeous Ikat Design Pillow on the Crate and Barrel site (a North American Home Decor Store), proving this ancient style continues to have relevance even in our modern world.
The following gallery exhibition video shows some gorgeous examples of Ikat Textile Artworks and contains information about the history and background of this ancient art form.
Over the years, many polymer clay artists have been mimicking Ikat designs in their cane works of art. So, when I noticed a recent resurgence of Ikat patterns in the magazines and online, I was inspired to teach you all how to create your own Ikat patterns in polymer clay.
But rather than re-teaching what has already been demonstrated by other instructors, I wanted to put my own personal spin on the idea and take this technique further. With some experimenting I was able to create a repeating diamond pattern which incorporates the characteristic woven Ikat look. Although the pattern looks complex, it is actually quite easy to do… making it the perfect candidate for a whole new kind of Ikat Cane Tutorial. I hope you enjoy it!
Coming up tomorrow (Friday September 9th 2011) in the Vol-040-1 members video at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library, I will be demonstrating how to create your own Ikat inspired polymer clay, in an intricate diamond pattern that is surprisingly simple to create.
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Please Note: A general prerequisite for all of my weekly tutorials is that you have a good understanding of the polymer clay basics, including: conditioning clay, using a pasta machine, clay blade and other simple tools, making Skinner Blends or Teardrop Blends, baking clay, as well as sanding and finishing. If you need help in these areas, my Polymer Clay Beginners Course will get you up to speed quickly. There is also plenty of free information on this blog. Use the search box at the top of the page to find articles on specific topics.
Supplies & Tools: Video-040-1 Diamond Pattern Ikat Cane:
- Polymer clay in at least 2 colors. I used 1/2 section (1/8th pack) of the following Premo Colors:
– 5026 Pomegranate Premo Sculpey
– 5093 Ecru Premo Sculpey
– 5001 White Premo Sculpey
- Pasta Machine.
- Acrylic Roller (optional).
- Clay blade.
- Ruler (optional).
The full version of the Vol-040-1 Diamond Ikat Cane video will be posted in the Polymer Clay Members Library on Friday September 9, 2011. But if you would like to see a sneak peek intro clip right now, scroll down the page a bit to the video player below.
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The full version of the “Diamond Ikat Cane” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Volume-040 Back Issue Package.
Customer Feedback About Membership Value:
In this busy world it is sometimes easy to forget to say THANK YOU. So I am just saying a BIG THANK YOU to Cindy, Doug, and kids. I love all the colour palettes, the photography, videos and mind blowing information that you so generously all give. My membership is one of the best value things I have ever invested in. With all the troubles in this world, both man-made and the natural disasters, it is great (for a few hours) to slip into “Cindy’s World” where I can lose myself in a kalidascope of colours, learn fab. new ways to create mini works of art, or just read comments, tips and tricks from other members. So a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who contributes to this wonderful site. ~Elaine-F
Cindy, you were so right! I turned the center upside down! I cannot believe that you figured it out so quick. So now I have Hibiscus as well as parrot tulips! But The colors are great and I like both. Really got my money’s worth from that video. Two lessons for the price of one! Thank you for all your help I absolutely love these videos. I can make such pretty things! What a high it is when they come out so beautiful that you want to make more. And in every color you can think of. ~KaronKay
What a cool tute! The metal tape looks fantastic with the polymer clay pieces shown in the video. I’ve got the same tape colors as Cheryl. Now that you’ve “shown the way” in your step-by-step tute, I’ve got no excuses but to get crackin’ on some pretties of my own! Metal just adds so much to clay… I see some fab copper/silver-taped beads and mixed media projects in my future. (Can’t wait to see what others post at the Facebook page, too…). Thank you Cindy and Doug… after all this time, you still excite me every Friday with these high quality video tutorials! It’s amazing how much we get for such a small membership fee… Thanks for your continuing excellence!!! ~Phaedrakat
The following topics are included in this week’s Polymer Clay Tutor Library, Diamond Ikat Cane video tutorial:
- See several examples of canes, beads, and pendants using the Diamond Ikat Cane in a variety of different colors and patterns.
- Discussion of the tools, supplies and techniques needed to create this simple and stunning polymer clay cane.
- Find out how you can create this woven looking cane and how to cut it and combine it into an unlimited variety of designs.
- Learn a cool trick for piecing this cane together into a diamond pattern that is likely different that other Ikat Cane you have seen.
- Plus, with some creativity and ingenuity, there are many ways to come up with other unique designs of your own.
The full version of the “Diamond Ikat Cane” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Volume-040 Back Issue Package.
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Awesome new tute to go along with this awesome new site look.
I;ve been pronouncing it wrong all these years…..who knew! This will be another favorite because I love the look of it and how it looks so different each way it’s used. Oh, boy….is it Friday yet?
LOL Pollyanna! Me too! Beautiful pieces Cindy. Looking forward to Friday!
What is 5001 Premo Sculpey?
Sorry that’s a typo… it is White. We’ll fix that asap!
Awesome cane! Looking forward to Friday! 8D
What an interesting and informative u-tube video. I never knew how ancient this type of pattern was. As well as learning about polymer clay, you show us the depth of your interest in how things are made. A Huge thank you for all of your research.
Ikat is so complex ! Not the way you teach it – you simplify it so we can DO IT ! How cool is that ? I can’t wait another day ……er….I guess i”ll have to, it isn’t Friday yet. I’m going to get up early -so I can see the video with my coffee…………See ya tomorrow
BTW – Premo 5001 is white
Beautiful jewelry pieces Cindy! Thanks for the very interesting and informative video on Ikat. There is a lot of tie & dye fabric in India with different motifs. Here’s some interesting information about it in India india-crafts.com/textile/printing_tradition/tie_dye/ Would love to have a tutorial on a paisley pattern cane too. that’s a very common pattern in a lot of Indian designs.
I was interested in your link then surfed a bit. Wow, didn’t realize all that went into the beautiful designs. Especially the intricate knotting. thanks for the heads up.
Andrea
Thanks Cherie -the info was very interesting. I only know tie-dye from the 60’s. I still see it inFlagstaff, Az. Popular there.
Tie Dye in India is so involved. No wonder the price is high.
Cherie, thanx for sharing this site with us. I checked it out and am amazed at the level of artistry involved in tie-dye. While looking around I found so many wonderful pattern ideas that I had to bookmark the site. Now if I can just figure out how to get more hours in each day, I might just have a hope of creating all the stuff these patterns have me thinking about :)
Beautiful technique. Can’t wait until tomorrow!
Yup, I was pronouncing in incorrectly, too. I didn’t even know that Icat came from fabric. Every time I saw a reference to it in relation to polymer clay, I knew it was a faux-something and figured I should probably know what it was. Now I know! So already, this tut is teaching me something new!
Wow what a lesson I learned from the u-tube video. I can’t wait for this lesson another technique I have done but as always Cindy’s way makes it so much easier to understand and do. Love your sample pictures. I hope I wake up in the middle of the night like I most often do. Very eager to see this one. This is just fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Many Uuuggs and have a wonderful weekend claying everyone.
Can you believe it I’m actually out of white clay! Thank goodness it’s on sale and I will be running to the store tomorrow to get some more. I love the Ikat designs but haven’t made any yet and I can’t wait to see what Cindy has put together for us all to learn and enjoy. Thanks for the preview with all the pretty canes. You must’ve been busy this week.
Am looking forward to this video, already have a project in mind for which these beads are perfect.
Speaking of Projects: Still looking for more to sign up for the bead swap, have several signed up and waiting for the second swap to begin. All of the details and instructions are outlined in the comment thread at this post link: Bead Swap
Cindy, I’ve been looking forward to the next video all week. Now, after seeing the clip, I’m even more excited to see the complete lesson. Thanks in advance :)
Wow this looks amazing, I can’t wait for tomorrow when I have all day to clayplay!! Thanks Cindy for another fantastic tutorial!!!!!
Oh my oh my I don’t know where to begin. THANK YOU BOTH is a good start, though I wish I could do more than just thank you because you deserve so much more. Once again the filming was awesome Doug. Cindy you continue to amaze me beyond words. You have taken a technique I enjoy and stepped it up not just a notch but beyond imagination. You challenge our imaginations to inspire above what we ever thought possible. I wish I could shake every PC lover out that does not join your tutes and convince them what they are missing. Even if they just got a fraction of what I do they would be inspired beyond their wildest dreams. So much for so little you PC addicts. Now I am going back to bed for some much needed rest so I can clay away to steps above my imagination.
Thanks and Uuuuggs
This is going to be so much fun to experiment with. You make every Friday seem like Christmas !
Hi Cindy
Each Friday I have a few hours to myself and the first thing I do is get my coffee and watch you do your awesome tutorial. I’m so happy to be a subscriber. I like to thank you and your husband for serving us such valuable information. Your work is just beautiful. Thank you so much!
Mary Lou
Love, love,love it !!!! This is going to be so much fun to see what I can do with different colors and combinations. Thanks for this great experience.
Cindy,
You have outdone even yourself with this one. I’ll say it again-wish I could borrow your creative head for a little while. I keep trying to convince my brain to think like yours. It subtly responds that genius would be required to come up with the things you do. Since my brain and I are lacking in that department , guess I’ll just have to be happy that mine is willing to learn what you teach. Awesome!!!! Can’t wait to try it.
Cindy, I just love your new take on ikat. So versatile and like usual so easy after you show us how!!
How clever you are ! This one pattern will make so muchhhhhhhhhh more. I wonder if it could be made into a paisley pattern ? I’ll try it and see.
Thanks so much for, again, stimulating the ole brain. Endless possibilities here………
If you figure out how to make this into a paisley pattern, PLEASE let me know. I love paisley.
Linda! I LOVE PAISLEY patterns. Cindy -how about a paisley pattern maybe in (IKAT) ? Purdy please…………….
Paisley! Love paisley. Cassie
Brilliant!!
Thanks so much Cindy (again)! This is going to be a FUN claying weekend. I just hope I can make something as beautiful as the pieces you show us at the beginning of the video. And… Good to “see” you Doug!
Hi Cindy,
Love the Ikat cane, can’t wait to try it out, so versatile as well, reminds me of fair isle pattern knitted jumpers.
I watched this with my mouth hanging open – AMAZING! I love it Cindy! How in the world do you figure these things out?????? LOL! I love it, thank you. You’re such a blessing.
Is there a tutorial to learn how to navigate. the web site…I get lost looking for things and wear out before I find them…also do I need to change my email to my gmail account as I am no longer using the rocket account.
also do I need to purchase the Peacock feather #1 to learn how to make the center of the Peacock feather in #2 that I purchase?
Dorothy
Dorothy,
After we get the “reno’s” done here at the blog as well as at the members library site, our plan is to make some site tour videos to help explain various issues like site navigation.
In the mean time, you can go to the following link for some navigation tips that were published a while back: Polymer Clay Tutor Site Navigation Tips
In regards to your email address change, you can email that info to me directly.
And for your question about the Peacock Cane Lessons, the answer is that both Part 1 and Part 2 of that tutorial are bundled together in the VOl-037 Back Issue package, which only requires a single $9.95 payment.
Elaine – how scary – not to be able to see colors!!! So glad your reaction lasted only 24 hours! I cannot imagine living in a b/w shaded world…
Thank you, Cindy and Doug, for an awesome tutorial, yet again. You’re right, when you said “now the magic begins” it really was magical to have that cane form like that – and as often is the case with polymer, the essentially unlimited variety and patterns that can be made by this technique are stirring my imagination to make something fun and beautiful.
Thank you for the great videos you send to us each week, I have learned so much from your site that I don’t have to spend the big bucks on the books
Elly Moore
Ikat… Batik,…Mud-cloth,…Tie-dye, …love them all… but never tried to do Ikat although have wanted to for years.
Now ,THANK YOU CINDY I can make it in polymer clay. You are an amazing tutor.
Don’t you just wonder about those ancient peoples from the four corners of the globe.? All spending many hours making these beautiful fabrics to enhance their world with colour.
Many years ago while in hospital having my first baby there were complications. She was rushed to the Special Baby Unit and I was given an injection (think it was to relax me). I had an allergic re-action to the drug and woke up to a black and white world, with shades of grey in between. Scarey, as it lasted 24 hours. Eventually the colour flooded back into my world and I could see normally again. So you can tell that I really appreciate being able to create with all the colours of the rainbow.
PS. Still love those old black and white movies though, especially the weepies:}
This looks so beautiful! Thanks for showing us how to do it. Can’t wait to give it a try.
I left a post several hours ago and now, for the life of me can’t find it. I was asking if anyone was having the problem of extreme buffering as I was having. Doug (bless his patient heart) has been trying to help me with this and we haven’t yet found a solution.
Well, I just went back and rewatched the Ikat and Crackled paint tutes and between them they only buffered three times. I’m guessing my problem is the time of day I’ve been trying to watch the videos. If I stick to the wee hours of the morning then, wallah, no problem. If anyone else is having problems like mine, try watching in off hours (if you have that luxury, as I do). You may be pleasantly surprised.
Cindy, thank you, I really enjoyed seeing the Ikat pattern worked. I’ve seen it in books but it didn’t compute as well as actually watching. And the books didn’t show how to manipulate the pattern into different layouts. Well done!
I also had a question for you Cindy. There is another well-known tutorial site (which I have not purchased from) that limits the number of times in a year their videos can be viewed. Their reasoning is they are charged each time a tute is seen. Are you also charged each time we view your tutes? I’m asking because, if you are, I want to be careful how many times I watch them. I don’t currently take notes but I can, if it would help limit views.
Thank you, Cindy, and you too Doug, for your help :)
Angela,
Excellent tip about viewing the videos during off-peak hours! If there are a whole bunch of people all watching the videos at the same time, that will definitely cause buffering issues. Doug tells me that at some point even this issue will be addressed since there are ways to have more “server power” automatically kick in depending on how much load is on the system.
And yes… you are correct about it costing us every time a video is viewed. That is why we must charge an ongoing maintenance fee (albeit a very small one), which allows you guys to have 24/7 access to the online tutorials.
And so that you know, we did consider limiting access to the videos like some other tutorial services do… but in the end decided not to go that route. Knowing that you can always refer back for a refresher, is a much nicer way to learn (imo).
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed watching my take on making the Ikat canes… I agree… videos are more effective than books when it comes to step by step visual learning ;-)
Oh gosh. I had no idea it costs you every time I re-view a video. There are some that I go back to frequently. You have those little “tricks” that I can’t always remember. I hope that you are doing what you need to do to make a profit. You ARE worth it.
Thanks for all that you do
Cassie
Ooh-la-la! Wonderful technique!
Hi Cindy
Love the new tutorial. Is there a max number of colors that be used and should you always have one dark and two lighter colors so you can see the pattern?
I hope everyone got the message I blgd. about the Stack on drawers being plasticizer free. I got that answer directly from the company.
Also, I check out pins with bails and they were lead free. if you need more info and send it later..I’m on a different computer right not so I’m not sure how to access the other blog that I sent yesterday.
You can use as many colors as you like in whatever combination you want. It is good to have some lights and darks so that you have some contrast in your design, because if the colors are too similar, the pattern won’t be as obvious. But there are no set rules, so try making several small canes, to come up with the color combination that you like best.
Thank you for letting everyone know that the Stack-On drawers are plasticizer free and that the pins are lead free. That is excellent news!
Yipeeeeeeeeee!! I just opened my new DRAWERS (stack0ON). They are perfect, AND I do have room for another set,,,,,,,,hmmmmmmmmmm. Have to see if I fill the first ones full. heeheee.Love these. They came all the way from Oshkosh to Tucson.
Thanks to the Lietz team for all the wonderful information.
I just had a go at this ikat cane, what a wonderful tute! I have tried making this kind of cane before but i couldn’t get it right. So thanks Cindy for another wonderful way of doing things. /soon i will load a pic of what i have done on the facebook page.
Hi Cindy,
My ikat cane came out looking like crap:-( I was following along with you while watching the video. Perhaps i didn’t have enough layers. I think you had 8 I had about 6 or 7.I was disappointed. Will try again.
Hi Rolanda, sorry you had trouble the first time you made this cane. Even with a couple less layers, it shouldn’t have turned out so bad. So maybe something else went wrong? It would be easier for me to help if I could see what it looks like. If you try it again, you may be able to figure out where you went wrong. Do come back and let me know how your second attempt goes. My guess is that it will go much better the next time around. Good luck, we’re cheering for you!
Thanks, Cindy.
I made the so-called ikat cane into a marbled cane. I’ll use it to cover the handles on some seafood forks.
I used Premo denim, ercu and white.
Perhaps I’ll use black and white. I will take a photos.
Thanks for the encouragement:-)
Cindy,
The Ikat cane doesn’t like me:-( After my limited success using black and white clay, I tried, again, this time ,fuchsia, white and black. Can you say hot mess.LOL
I’m going to try one more time. If I’m unsuccessful, as much as I like the design, I’m moving on to another cane. I’ll try it again at a much, much, much later date.
Hi Rolanda, I took a look at the photos you sent and really you are not very far off. In the first photo, the cane looks fine to me. You just hadn’t reduced it small enough yet.
The reason it is not lining up at the back (which is common btw) is because the pieces weren’t exactly the same size when they were cut in half and combined. You could minimize that by using a ruler and measuring next time.
Another thing is there will always be some distortion at the ends. (More if your pieces aren’t lined up at the back.) On smaller canes like this, it is good to reduce them so that they are longer and skinnier than what you had in the photo. When they are short and wide like you made, you will only get a couple of ‘good’ slices before you run into the distorted ends.
Try these tips and I’m sure it will work out just fine next cane. You haven’t been making ‘hot messes’ you just weren’t quite finished yet. Don’t give up, you can do it!
Okay Cindy.
The ikat cane should be more of a square than a rectangle-check
Use a ruler-check
Listen to Cindy-check
Don’t give up-check
Thanks:-)
You’re cute! It is OK to still be a rectangle, just a smaller one that goes longer rather than so thin. I see that a couple of the samples I have in the photo at the top of this page are thin, but I would reduce those before slicing, so I could get more slices out of the cane. I hope that makes sense. Good luck!
Makes perfect sense. That’s why you’re the teacher and I am the student. I was almost in the remedial class:-)
Hi Cindy,
This morning , I made the diamond ikat cane for the 4th time. Black/Ecru/White. Maybe I can’t follow instructions? I do believe I have a mental block that only allows semi success. I did notice that my stripes where horizontal, not vertical. Although, they started off vertical.
This cane is NO where near a diamond shape.
I throw in the towel. I’ve been defeated by an inadament object. Grade: Fail
On to the next cane.
You’re not going to “sweet talk” me into trying it again. lol
Rolanda, I completely know where you are coming from!!
I have never had any success with canes of any kind………I haven’t tried this one yet as I’m a bit behind, I always seem to get the reducing wrong and the patterns end up all blended or crooked etc.
Maybe we just need to practice the reducing part.
** A question before I start this one***
I wanted to use 2 darker colors with a middle light color.
Plum- ecru-olive.
Will that work for the little diamond in the center pattern?
Thanks!
Hi Rolanda, Canes do give some people some trouble, but with some time you will be able to master them. You get a feel for them after awhile. Just keep trying!
In theory any color combination will create the diamond pattern, but whether or not you will be able to see the pattern clearly will depend on the contrast there is between colors. Do some small ‘test’ canes to see if the colors work together well before doing a larger one. The colors do sound pretty together, hopefully they will work in the cane well too.
Don’t forget that learning is a process. You would not expect a child to paint a masterpiece the first time they picked up a brush (Or the hundredth time for that matter.) Nor should you expect masterpiece canes from yourself until you’ve done it few times.
The great thing is the learning curve is not nearly as steep (or as expensive) with polymer clay than it is with most other jewelry making skills, like glass bead making or silver smithing for example. Just relax and enjoy the journey!
Mavis,
It looks so easy when Cindy does it. You think to yourself, how hard can it be. Well, hard:-)
I’m new to this medium so I know there is a big of a learning curve. I’ll practice making and reducing canes by using the ugly Scupley III colors!
How can a 2 oz. block of clay cause so much frustration. LOL
LOL, Rolanda,
yes just 2oz. of clay can leave me pretty stressed sometimes, but on the positive side, I’ve also found that just playing with shaping clay can also have a relaxing effect ~
I’m just going to grit my teeth and try the Ikat anyway as I think the patterns are so pretty!
We’re NOT quitters!LOL
Cindy,
Thanks so much for the encouraging words. Yes, you’re right, we would not expect perfection from a child but we do from ourselves. This is a flaw that I have. I expect to make it right and good the first time.
Time and experimenting is the true teacher. And you’re right again, polymer clay is a great inexpensive medium to hone ones’ skill with.
With my minimal skills, a store just bought 2 wedding flutes that I applied polymer clay to. I’ll send you a photo.
Cheers,
Rolanda
Hi everyone,
In addition to playing with polymer clay, I also work with kiln form glass.
I’d like to make some napkin holders with polymer clay. Has anyone done this using a slumping mold?
Thanks.
Rolanda
What is a slumping mold? I like the idea of making napkin holders too..they would make great gift sets for the holiday..something different to offer our customers
Natalie,
A slumping mold is a form that could be the shape of a bowl, plate, etc. When you place the fused glass, which is 2 or more pieces of glass that has fused into one solid piece, you place the glass on top of the mold, fire it in the kiln and it takes the shape of the mold.
Fusing glass takes between 7-8 hours and slumping about 6 hours.
Long process but worth it when the finished product is beautiful.
I just saw some napkin holders and they were clay beads strung together. Not very hard and if you used holiday colors they would look nice.
]
Hi
I had time yesterday to try the Diamond Ikat pattern with some scrape clay I brought up to the country with me.I guess I had less than an 1/8 of a package..so when I finished stacking it and cutting it..I could not make a thick plug ( square) of the design .. so instead I cut it into half. reduced it slightly..cut it again..repeated it 2 more times..than since it was so thin..I used my roller and made a sheet out of it. I plan to use it to cover some white scrap clay and make a pendant out of it. I have seem many people with pendants that look like flat donuts..I think that might look good…the pattern is larger than the ones that you do( again I could not reduce it to well..guess I need more practice in the reducing area).
Ive almost got all the tutorials so looking through my library…… I still did not have #40 just thinking it did not attract enough interest for me. But then after getting it. ALL OF THE TUTORIALS AMAZE ME. and I watch them over and over. Im so amazed at her dedication to her program. so inspiring and I take to work the simple attempts like a beginner does and take to work and people love the items. though Im such a beginner. Ive turned several folks on to the site. a person can search teh web for other tutorials but … really Cindy’s are the best Clear and makes it so doable. Thanks Cindy. Good work.