Shibori Workshop + Notes

It's official, I am planning and preparing for my Shibori Workshop on Sunday, July 9th, 2017. There will be 8 spots available to create unique fabrics and explore Shibori, the ancient art of folding and tying using indigo dyes. Each workshop attendee will take home 2 tea towels along with any additional hand-dyed item of their liking, such as: tote bags, apparel, and pillowcases etc. 

All tie and dye supplies are included in the workshop cost along with the tea towels. Workshop attendees can bring in additional items to fold and dye so that they may experiment and explore. A workshop guide and recommendations will be sent to everyone who enrolls. 

​This workshop has already taken place, but we have new workshops coming up this Fall!

I'm excited to share with you my tips and my recommendations for a successful project. Read on to see the basic steps to Shibori and see my list of favorite supplies. 

#1. Always choose cotton, silk or natural fibers for best results when dyeing. 

# 2. I enjoyed having 2 dye-baths so that I could work on more than 1 textile at a time. 

​#3. For a faded look dip 1-2 times and use a non-cotton item. My curtain panel was not cotton and it instantly appeared lighter than the rest.  

I used a fan fold or accordion fold to make a grid with horizontal and vertical lines.

#4. Remember that the fabrics' color will lighten up a bit once they washed. Otherwise, I recommend dipping 2-3 times and squeeze out excess dyes in between submerging to keep colors bright. 

For these pieces, I gifted a toddler t-shirt to Neel's bestie. I was able to re-use and shirt that he had quickly outgrown and it took on a 2nd life.

​#5. Feel free to experiment with unusual "found" objects or non-traditional materials. 

At left: twine on thick round dowels. Middle: accordion folds. At right: triangle fold with C-clamp on masonite.

Take your time and have fun! I have to say almost all of the best results were loosely planned yet spontaneous. ​

Here is a list of what I ordered for this project:

• Indigo dye kit 
• Favorite linen tea towels 
• Cotton scarf
• Kid's t-shirt
• S-M Natural wooden beads (used for the Kumo: spider or ring technique)
• M-L Natural wooden beads (used for XL rings)

​
If you have tried this project out already, I would love to hear more about your results and experience. If you plan to attend the workshop coming in September, please enroll. 

I shared pictures of our Summer workshop recap!

Lastly, if you would like to receive a free downloadable copy of tips and guide please join my mailing list below. You will be notified about all upcoming workshops, events, and tutorials.