SHIBORI¶
About¶
I guess you already know a lot about Shibori from the conception page, but let’s remember again what it is, what types exist, and how it is done.
This Japanese dyeing method is full of tradition. It is called Shibori (fold / bind / twist resist dyeing). Another related technique is Yūzen, which uses paste resist for detailed designs. Very often for this dyeing method they use indigo color, and sometimes leaves or other plants to create patterns (like in Katazome).
Here are some examples of Shibori folding.
The main six types, their names, and folding methods are from my previous documentation:
Kanoko Shibori
Miura Shibori
Nui Shibori
Kumo Shibori
Arashi Shibori
Itajime Shibori
A deeper exploration of techniques¶
Arimatsu Shibori¶
After some research, one of my favorite techniques became Arimatsu Shibori (Arashi Shibori). I found an interesting instructional video that shows how this type of shibori is made. I really like the vertical line patterns and started thinking about how these lines could be translated into folding and gathering structures. But first, let’s look at the technique itself.
In this video and in traditional way of making this patern uses indigo collor. it is grat blue natural dye which work perfectly with this tecnic becous of its unique working aspects. it is hard tecniq but the pass of it useing for shibori is the time during which the fabric stay in the dying wather not a lot of hours and couldnt to soak up and spread color across the space. i want exxperiment with indigo collor too but in my final project i gues i wiLl chose any armenian plants dying mathod.In the video and in the traditional process, indigo is used. It is a beautiful natural blue dye that works perfectly with this technique because of its specific behavior in water. Although the technique is quite difficult, the key point in shibori is that the fabric does not stay in the dye bath for a very long time, so the color does not fully spread and blur into the whole surface.
I also want to experiment with indigo, but for my final project I think I will choose natural dyes from Armenian plants instead.
Itajime Shibori¶
I like this technique not only because of the interesting and beautiful results, but also because of the geometric forms, which are easy to continue and develop in my future work. It has different variations, using triangles or squares. Both give very interesting results and have a very similar making process. First, let’s look at the square version.
In this video, we can see some important points. The first one is ironing. This is the most important part for “breaking” the lines and making them as sharp and regular as possible. The second important point is the use of clamps. Clamps are the most effective way to fasten the folds very tightly, so the dye cannot fully penetrate the middle parts. In many videos, we can also see different techniques and experiments with indigo dye.
Here is another video that shows more options for making Itajime Shibori and its results. I especially like the method with a cylinder, which I had not heard about before. Let’s learn these methods step by step from this instruction.
Techniques which I try¶
Dying¶
For dyeing, I used hibiscus. It has an amazing color, but it doesn’t stay after many washings — it loses the color and fades. It also needs a lot of material, but anyway it is a beautiful plant with a beautiful color, and I really recommend trying it at least once.
Hibiscus is perfect for inks, watercolors, and similar materials, but it is not very good for permanent dye. Its pigments are water-soluble, pH-sensitive, and light-sensitive. It works very well with silk, wool, and felt, and a bit less with cotton. But I still needed cotton, because after research I realized that it is the most common fabric for dyeing, 3D printing, and other kinds of experiments.
I used the scoured and mordanted fabrics that we prepared during the biofabrication week.
Hibiscus Dye Extraction¶
Ingredients: (hibiscus + water)
- Hibiscus petals - 50–100% WOF
- Add water and hibiscus
- Heat to 70–80°C (DO NOT boil)
- Steep 30–60 min
- Take off petals
I started heating it slowly to control the temperature. I kept it heating for about one hour. After that, I turned off the heat and let it cool down slowly. Then I left it on the side for about 18 hours (you can leave it less or more, just make sure it cools down to room temperature).
Shibori folding¶
Itajime¶
I made three cotton fabrics. One of them was linen, two others were standard thick cotton. I ironed them and started folding. The first technique was Itajime. The first time I did it without ironing, but Svetlana, one of our participants, said that it will not work like that, so I redid it. In the video we can see the correct technique.
What we need:
Iron, fabric, and scissors. You can moisten the cloth for better absorption, but I did it without wetting.
After folding, I cut wood and made squares according to my fabric sizes. I put the fabric between two wooden parts and fixed them with rubber bands (it is better to use clips if you have them), because with high temperature the rubber can deform or even cut, so it is not the best choice.
What we have:
Arashi¶
I made it using the technique from the previous video. I took mouliné thread and, with all my power, tied the fabric tightly. I connected the two sides of the cloth so that it would take less space in the container and not stick to the walls.
After doing this, I understood that next time I should choose threads made of non-natural materials. They will not change or react during the dyeing process.
Experimental fold¶
I just remembered a scrolling shape. I don’t know where it came from, maybe from my mind. I took the fabric, started scrolling it from the middle part, and fixed it with a disposable rubber band. It looked strange, but I decided to try it anyway. You can see the result in the previous photo, and now let’s look at the shibori experiments together.
Dying process¶
We had the liquid ready and put it again on the fire and started heating it. The maximal tempriture of heating is 70°C. Immediately after turning on the fire, I put all the fabrics inside and started pushing them deeper with a stick.
Dyeing cotton
- Add mordanted cotton to dye bath
- Heat slowly to 60–70°C
- Move gently every 15 minutes for even color
- Dye 30-60 min
For a better result it is perfect to raise the temperature very slowly and keep it around 60–70°C for more than one hour. If it is possible, it is even better to keep this temperature for a few hours.
For this I used a thermometer. It is important not to let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pot and to keep it inside for about one minute, because sometimes the last 5–10°C are hard to read quickly.
Turn off the fire, close the container and let it cool down slowly. Keep the fabrics inside until the next day, around 24 hours. After that take them out and start unboxing.
First shibori unboxing. Itajime.
In the middle parts we can see more blue color. It happens because there is less air there. If I understand right, we cannot remove it, but we can change the color variations using some additives, for example soda or vinegar. I will talk about it more after my experiments.
It didn’t become so line-clear in the corners like in the video examples, but it goes more softly dyed. With indigo we don’t let the fabric stay in the water for a long time, and the indigo color is very intensive. One thing that I will change next time is ironing — I will do it more carefully and more precisely.
The color on wool is on another level of art.
Second shibori unboxing. Arashi
In the wet form I thought that all my efforts were in vain. Anyway, after drying this fabric showed itself in a new way and really surprised me.
The things which I will change next time are the tension, the power, and the distance between the lines.
Third shibori unboxing. Experimentation one
This one is the worst. It had color before dyeing, and because of that the color differences are not normally visible. The pattern is too chaotic and looks like a failed experiment. It is characterized by very sharp color spots.
Here are three interesting dyed objects which I like, regardless of if they are a fail or a success.
To peel and dry¶
When I open the fabric folds, it is time to gently peel them and remove the pigment that was not absorbed (next time I want to try without this step and see if the color will become more saturated). You don’t wash it, just carefully peel and lightly squeeze the fabric. After that, hang it to dry.
When the fabric dried, I ironed it and then opened the itajime folds and started ironing along the shibori lines. Ironing works as a color fixer and also helps to “break” and reveal the shibori pattern. I ironed it in the way that felt most comfortable at that moment, but later I understood that if I want to control the direction and movement of the lines, I need to know exactly which side of the folds should be ironed.
This is how the fabrics look after all these manipulations.