Welcome to the second post in our Shibori Series! In this post, we’ll be talking about how the process of Shibori dying works, including different techniques, the tools you need, and how you can make your own Shibori dyed fabric at home!
(Shibori examples, via Honestly WTF)
The process of Shibori dying involves folding, twisting, or bunching the cloth, binding it together afterwards. The parts that are hidden by the folding and bound together will resist the dye, creating patterns within the dye color as well as intentional white spots. This is actually where Shibori gets its namesake – the word Shiboru in Japanese means to wring, squeeze, or press.
If you are attempting to dye at home, you’ll need:
The general process will be to fold the fabric, bind it, mix the dye, place the fabric in the dye, let it oxidize, dye again if needed, let it dry, and unravel.
There are many ways to Shibori dye, however, and some may be familiar to you if you’ve ever tie-dyed clothing. Let’s take a look:
(Left: Kanoko shibori knots on silk to create an obiage. Right: Finished silk chiffon shibori obiage with Kanoko design. Both pieces from ThisBlueBird collection.)
Likely the most familiar to technique to westerners, Kanoko involves taking pinched sections of the clothing and binding it together with hand-tied thread, resulting in circular, intricate shapes. Try experimenting with the size of the pinched sections, along with how tight or loose you tie the thread. This will create new patterns every time!
(Miura Shibori example, via google)
A commonly used method, Miura involves taking sections of fabric with a hooked needle, looping the thread around each section of fabric. Keep the thread untied to achieve a wavey, almost aquatic-like look to your patterns.
For those more serious about Shibori, you may want to give Nui a try. This involves taking a thread running and stitching it through the fabric, pulling the ends of the thread tight together to gather the fabric into sections. Sometimes, a wooden dowel can be used to help with tension. Once pulled tight, the thread is tied together. This creates straight-lined, snowflake-looking stripes that travel vertically on the fabric.
(Left: Tied kumo technique on a silk obiage from ThisBlueBird collection. Right: Framed Kumo Shibori print via Houzz.)
In order to get the Kumo pattern, you have to fold the cloth and bind it together on either end with staggered sections. Continue doing this to the center of the cloth until you have a bundle of bindings. This technique will create patterns that look similar to snowflakes, pinwheels, or branches.
(Arashi shibori examples, via Honestly WTF)
(Itajime shibori technique via Alice and Lois.)
Similar to Arashi, this technique also involves props, but this time it’s two slabs of wood, rather than a pole. In this technique, the cloth is folded and placed between the wood, like a sandwich. This results in fabric that is barely dyed at all except for the ends that stick out from the wood, resulting in more 3D geometric squares and shapes.
Have you tried Shibori dying? Which methods have you used? Which technique is your favorite in terms of dying or the resulting patterns? Let us know in the comments!One accessory that can tie almost any outfit together is the scarf. It’s classy, elegant, and functional. To help you prepare to look your chicest this fall (while keeping on brand of course), here are the 2019 fall trends we’ve noticed for scarves – as well as our favorite vintage scarves to look for when picking out your perfect accessory.