Paper presented by Jill Becker, University of Technology,  Jamaica, at the Biennial Conference of The University of the West Indies Schools of Education, 23-25 April, 2013, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

In several cultures around the world, paste resist dyeing has been traditionally performed in the dyeing of textiles. In Nigeria, adire eleko is a method which uses cassava as the base for the paste. In Japan, a similar process, katazome and tsitsugaki-zome, is also used in the dyeing of textiles. The base of the resist in this environment is a special rice and rice bran mixture, which is prepared through steaming according to a specific procedure. These practices derived from the use of indigenous materials in other cultures are used as the basis for informing teaching and learning practices in fashion designing around the world. Within Jamaica, the use of indigenous materials to increase artistic expression by local fashion designers is becoming increasingly important as the country seeks to preserve its uniqueness. This experimental research seeks to ascertain whether cassava, an indigenous product of the Caribbean region, is an appropriate local substitute in the resist dyeing of cotton and silk fabrics. Three recipes using cassava in its various state-cassava in its organic state, re-constituted bammies, and cassava flour-were developed to test the hypothesis. Additionally, dyes were added to the resist paste to extend the design potential to allow for a number of colours to be printed on one piece of textile. The findings generated from this study will be used to inform teaching/learning practices in fashion designing, as well as used as a basis for collaborating with artisans in the region to develop and promote the use of indigenous knowledge

Download full project here uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/dspace/handle/2139/15884