Which fabric is described as 100% cotton, spun, balanced plain weave and associated with resist dye/ikat?

• A. Ikat
• B. Batik
• C. Calico
• D. Ripstops

Answer: (A)

Resist-dye patterns come from dyeing the yarns before weaving, which is the hallmark of ikat. In ikat, the warp and/or weft yarns are tied or bound so that dye cannot reach certain sections, and after weaving you get the characteristic softly feathered patterns that reveal the pre-dyeing design. The description of the fabric as 100% cotton, spun, balanced plain weave fits ikat well because this combination yields a stable, even surface that clearly displays the pre-dyed pattern without extra texture or sheen.

Batiks use wax as a resist on the finished fabric, producing sharp edges but not the pre-weave yarn resist that defines ikat. Calico is simply a plain-weave cotton fabric, often with small prints, but it isn’t inherently tied to a resist-dye technique. Ripstops refer to a weave structure with a grid for durability, not a resist-dye pattern. So the fabric associated with resist dye/ikat is ikat.