MGGS Fashion & Textiles: Batik Work

Year 7 students have been exploring the batik technique in their Fashion and Textiles lessons. Originating in Indonesia, the word batik was first recorded in English in the Encyclopedia Britannica in 1880, just 8 years before MGGS first opened. This week, students set about designing the first panel of their skater skirts, fitting the theme of all things MGGS from the school crest and the school’s founding date, through to the notion of the Fairy Palace and the iconic magnolia tree. As their first creative experience of textiles ensued, students were clearly enthusiastic for getting more hands on. Using tjanting tools they were able to lay melted wax over their designs which then acted as a wax-resist barrier, allowing drawing inks and fabric dyes to remain separated when added.  Next lesson, students will be able to remove the wax using heat to reveal a clean, crisp line the colour of the original fabric thus enhancing their final designs.