Resist-dyeing is a widely used method of applying colours or patterns to fabric. A substance that is impervious to the dye blocks its access to certain areas of the fabric, while other parts are free to take up the dye colour. Tie-dyeing involves pinching areas of  cloth and tying them tightly with thread before dyeing.

The technique of tying off sections of cloth or garments before treating it with dye has been around for centuries. Japan and India are among the many parts of the world with long traditions of tie-dye. 

The word ikat derives from the Indonesian verb mengikat, which means “to bind, tie or wind around. The method involves wrapping yarn with a resist before dyeing. When such yarn is woven, the resulting textile will be patterned. The elaborate Central Asian and Indonesian examples required repeated binding and dyeing to achieve the variety of colors and intricacy of design.