Ikat is handwoven coth that has been resist dyed prior to the weaving process. In Japan, this technique is known as kasuri. Before dyeing, sections of yarn are tightly bound in predetermined lengths. The dye does not penetrate these protected areas when the thread is dipped into the dye bath. The binding is then carefully removed leaving yarn that is partly white and partly colored. The threads are then used as the warp or weft so a pattern appears as the cloth is woven. The slight misalignment of threads gives the pattern on the kasuri cloth its characteristic 'fuzzy' outline. The dyer must possess great skill to bind the threads in just the right place so the pattern emerges as planned.