“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” — Albert Einstein
Lately, I have become interested in the tie-dye technique of Shibori. It started with an image I saw on Instagram. So I signed up to receive a photo feed about dyeing fabric. Since then I came across amazing photos of blue and white fabric, folded and dyed creating an Origami effect.
About Shibori:
Shibori in Japanese means to press, wring or squeeze. Shibori dyeing technique involves folding, twisting or bunching cloth. It is then bind-ed and dyed it in indigo. The areas of the fabric that comes under the bind will resist the dye. It results in the cloth taking distinctive blue dye in patterns created by the resistance. The other areas of the cloth will remain white. Using this technique one can create truly infinite number of patterns. It’s traditionally created with an indigo dye and it yields simply beautiful, one-of-a-kind results.
Shibori is not only restricted to the wise old Japanese textile craft of hand dying indigo. It has also been modernized and some designers imitate/ interpret the Shibori look through digital print. It has now become a classic textile application. It is being used throughout all textile industries from interiors to fashion for inspiration.
From clothing to home decor, the delicacy and unique designs of this art form make it popular with Artists, Designers and Craftspeople. Today, homeware and textile designers use modernised techniques to create all sorts of patterns and colours on linens, crockery and wallpaper. There’s no end as you can create small pieces by hand, photograph them and digitally manipulate them so they can be printed on a large scale.
From table cloths to duvet covers, iPhone cases to wallpapers and startling calf-skin wall hangings, the ancient Japanese resist-dying technique of Shibori has gone mainstream.
The Technique:
The technique involves twisting, tying, crumpling, stitching or folding fabric — usually silk or cotton — in various ways, transforming the two-dimensional material into a sculptural, three-dimensional form. This shape is then traditionally dyed, originally using indigo, although a huge variety of colours and dyes are used now. Sometimes, the same fabric is then twisted in some other way and then dyed again. When wrappings are removed, the folds and creases where the fabric resisted the dye form distinctive crinkled textures and patterns.
Types of Shibori:
For Shibori the cloth can be bound, stitched, folded, twisted, clamped and compressed. Each method that is used is done in harmony with the type of cloth to create beautiful surface designs. Fabrics have different characteristics so the method must be chosen wisely to achieve the desired effect. The results are endless and can be as simple or as elaborate as you please. It take at-least a five year apprenticeship under a master craftsman to learn the processes and master the art.
There are six major known techniques; Kanoko, Miura, Kumo, Nui, Arashi and Itajime.
Kanoko is the closes technique to the western version that we know today as Tie-dye.
The cool thing about this craft is that you can easily do at home. Shibori tutorials abound online, ranging from the very basic to the more advanced. It is the balance between method and the unexpected, the beauty in imperfection that draws me into the art form. So, what do you think: would you welcome Shibori into your homes?
Finally, I recently spoke to Rinchen Ghosh who has launched her handcrafted shoes under ‘Label Rinchen‘ and uses Shibori techniques in her collection. She says “I love surprises…..I like things which are magical….So quite quick I found my love for Shibori and followed my heart. It always creates something new and spectacular. At Label Rinchen, I create shoes, clothes and accessories with Shibori and natural dyes.” You can check her products here. Rinchen’s amazing line of products are going to be available on MarketStreat for purchase soon. Do keep a watch on this space for an announcement.
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