THE PROCESS OF BATIKAN INTO CLOTH

THE PROCESS OF BATIKAN INTO CLOTH

This process is devided into several stages and must be finished in order. If batikan has been covered completely, the work improves to the first step of changing batikan into cloth.
The steps are s follows:
MEDEL AND MBIRONI
The main material for medel is nila (tarum). First, prepare water 24 pikul, one pikul is about 40 liters. A container is filled with 21 pikul and another is empty. A container that contains water is then given latak. Latak is the sediment of nila liquid. The amounts of latak are 3 pikul, steered in the morning and afternoon for 2 or 3 days. In the morning of the third or fourth day, if the condition of latak in the mixture has looked black, so the water above the sediment is taken and moved to the empty container.
The sediment of mixtured latak is added with new latak as many as 2 pikul and sugar drop for one batok ( batok is meant coconut shell divided into two, and the flesh is taken). The color of the mixture will get yellow. In the afternoon it is added with black nila for 1,5 big bowls (pinggan).
The next morning at about 6 am, batikan can already be entered into the black nila in the container (jambangan). Nila in such amount is for 30 pieces, each 2,5 kacu. The dyeing takes about 2 hours; after that they are lifted from soaking and put on the hangers without being spread, till there is no water drop (atus). The lifting from the soaking and the placement till subsiding (atus) is called “kasirep” (“kasirep” is taken from the word sirep which means “subside”). If it subsides (atus), then it is entered into nila again for two hours, then lifted and sun-dried until dry. The second lifting and sun-drying is called “kageblogi” (it is from the word “geblok” which means a way to hit, or a group measurement).
After batikan is dry, it is entered again into nila. This work is done several times, till batik gets black. If batikan is already black, the work stops. Nila after the dyeing is added with the sediment of nila 1,5 big bowls soon. This addition is called “nglawuhi” (it is from the word lawuh which means side-dish for eating). But the meaning and function of nglawuhi in the process to change batik into cloth (mbabar) is as a perfection. Now nila is yellow. If it is too yellow, it will be dangerous because it can drop off “malam”, while malam function on mori hasn’t finished. Being too yellow is caused by the lack of enjet (lime for chewing with betel leaves/kapur sirih). But if there are too many enjet, the color will get green, cannot make batikan black. To return the color to be yellow, it is enough to be given Java vinegar or sugar drop. If it’s not yellow, give sugar drop and vinegar till the color becomes yellow according to the need. After that, enter batik into nila mixture like mentioned above. Now batik is completely black. After it is enough, batikan is lifted and washed into plain water and dried in the cool place.
Batikan that has been dry is soaked in water till “malam” bluduk. (bluduk is like a condition to drop off). “malam” in reng-rengan and terusan batik are rubbed down by using a special tool till clean: while “malam” in blirikan and tembok aren’t rubbed. Batik that has been rubbed is then washed again (dibilas) till the washing water is clean, and dried again in the cool place.
After batikan is dry, then give kanji (layer) by using “spoiled tajin” with cane sugar. The comparison of the mixture is 3 glasses of tajin and sugar as weight as 3 pieces of cent coin. After being given kanji, batikan is dried again. After being dry, parts that need blue color are given blue (dibironi). Before it, parts that don’t need blue color are covered with “malam”. The way to cover is the same with making tembokan and bliriki batik. After it has finished, we come to the third stage that is “soga”.
Then batikan is given blue color, Batik reng-rengan must be rubbed till clean like the way above. After being rubbed, then it is washed and dried, or without being dried, but directly dipped into “tajin” (disekuli),then dried. If it is dry, it is then given blue color. The difference from the previous way is without the first drying. Besides that, the comparison of nila mixed with other material isn’t certain, but depending on the estimation of the maker. That is perhaps the defeat in wedelan stage.
NYOGA
After being given blue color (mbironi) and dry, batikan is given soga. The steps are: batikan is folded spirally (diwiru). After that, enter into a container which contains warm soga, then press the whole. Then it is lifted, and spread on that container in order that soga can drop to that container again. If soga doesn’t drop again, then sun-dry till half dry, moved to a cool place till completely dry. Up to here, this is still the first step of giving soga; the usage of each soga will be different on the level.
After finishing nyoga, batikan is given saren (nyareni). Chalk and sugar mix with water in a container, steer until shattered. After settling, soaking water is poured into kenceng (a kind of container). Batikan is entered into kenceng till the whole parts; then lifted till subside. After subsiding, hit in hot water in order that “malam” will lose. Hitting in hot water is called “nglorot” or “nglungsur”. After batikan is hit in hot water, then washed and sun-dried. The sun-drying of batikan is called “dikemplang”. Till this stage is called “ambabar”. Every morning batikan in the form of cloth is condensed. Now, the process of mbabar batikan has finished.
MBABAR
Mbabar is the finishing process from batikan to be cloth. After batikan is really covered, we come to the next work, that is to process it to be cloth. In some areas, the way to do mbabar is basically the same. The difference is only the comparison of the material used. There is one area in which the comparison of the mixed material has been fixed suitable with the cloth wanted. But there is also an area that doesn’t use the fixed comparison and only uses estimation based on the experience. Besides that, the difference is also on the duration needed for each mbabar stage. There are some persons using the certain duration, but some others only use the estimation. The differences influence the quality of cloth produced by every area. It is possible because on the mbabar stage, there is a chemical process; while ‘time’ has a big effect on the chemical process. But this process hadn’t been known deeply by the persons who did mbabar long time ago.