I have been a big fan of Shibori for some time now, so I was excited to attend a weekend workshop hosted by Sarah and her friend Dorothy.

Shibori is a Japanese method of tie-dye in which cloth is stitched, folded, and twisted before dipping into dye to create patterns.

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1 Running stitch is used to create patterns.

2 (Sorry for the grainy pictures; we were basking in the comfort of air-conditioning at this point!)

3 After sewing, the threads are pulled to gather the fabric.

4 Sarah dyes and rinses the fabric.

5 After dyeing, we cut the threads to reveal the patterns.

6 The anticipation...

7 Results!

8 I was too impatient to leave my piece in the dye bath for the full recommended time, but I think it still turned out.

9

It was quite a nail-biter—waiting to cut the threads. Some pieces definitely turned out better than others.

Tips to remember for next time:

• use a strong thread (like quilting thread) so it doesn't snap when pulled
• gather the fabric very tightly so the dye can't seep in
• dye and rinse the fabrics outside when possible (or risk a purple tub!)

I definitely recommend trying Shibori, but if the sewing part seems too intimidating there is always good old-fashioned tie-dye. I think either would make a great weekend activity.

Tags: dye, shibori
Posted by Stephanie Hung on August 11, 2011 in Make It