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.

First attempt. 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.

Second attempt. Dying with all steps.¶

After some weeks, I decided to retry dyeing using the shibori method, but this time following all the steps carefully and doing it as properly as possible. This process turned out to be very complex and labor-intensive, which is why it is important to explain every step and the role of each one.

The first important part before starting the process is understanding what you want and how you want to achieve it. To do this, it is necessary to research shibori more deeply. For that, I needed a strong reference source with depth and good storytelling. The most important source for me was the book Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing.

I have a physical copy of this book, but online it is possible to find some excerpts, and with some luck even more complete versions. This book explains all variations of shibori, but here I will focus only on the technique I chose.

Instead of using threads or stitching, I decided to work with more geometric and predictable folding methods. The section I focused on is cloth folded and clamped, described on page 115 of the book.

The introduction of this chapter says:

"Dyeing cloth that is folded in two or more directions into a neatly shaped bundle and held clamped between boards or sticks is an art historian's enigma. There are eighth century examples in the Shoso-in, but subsequent examples are so scarce until the nineteenth century that doubt is cast on this technique existing in Japan before the latter date."

" The process is simple enough. Cloth is folded into wide vertical pleats. The pleated cloth strip is then repeatedly reverse folded, either horizontally or diagonally, into a square, rectangular, or triangular form. This creates a neat bundle of folded cloth that is fitted between boards or sticks, held in place with cord, and dipped selectively in the dye. The multiple folds create simple geometric patterns, and the dye is drawn into the folds, creating a distinctive soft-edged effect. In Arimatsu-Narumi, the general name for both patterns and process is sekka shibori, snow crystals (literally, "snow flowers"). The term in more general use is itajime. This word stands alone; the term itajime shibori is not used."

After this explanation, the book clearly shows each step — why it is done and how it should be done. Below is a direct quote explaining the tools used:

" Board Clamps: Flat pieces of wood cut to the appropriate size and shape are the most usual type of clamp. If the cloth bundles are small, balsa wood works very well, since it is easy to cut with a sharp knife or fine coping saw. Masonite or other hard board or foam board used for architectural models may also be used. When the placement of the binding cords is determined, matching notches are cut into the two pieces of wood or other material. The notches prevent the cord from slipping. The term itajime literally means "board clamping.

Stick Clamps: Flat smooth sticks are also used as clamps (balsa wood, readily available in a variety of sizes is easy to cut and split). These are placed on both sides of the cloth bundle and bound around with cord. In some cases the sticks are not cut all the way through but resemble a pair of Japanese disposable chopsticks before they have been split apart. Several folds of the cloth are laid between them, and the open ends are bound together. Clamping between sticks is called bojime. The process described below is the same regardless of design. The variables that determine the design are the shape into which the cloth is initially folded and the size, shape, and placement of the boards or sticks.

Folding: The cloth is thoroughly dampened, laid flat on the work surface, and accordion-folded into uniform, vertical pleats that extend the length of the cloth. The strip of pleated cloth is then folded into a square, rectangle, or triangle, the choice of which is dictated by the design desired. The first fold remains in place on the work surface, and all subsequent folds are made by moving the strip of cloth back and forth. The cloth is precisely folded so that the layers are arranged in a stack, each exactly above the other.

Clamping: The boards or sticks are cut to the desired size and shape and notched to hold the cords. The cloth is protected from possible stains by coth or paper next to the wood. The boards (sticks) are placed as desired and bound together with stout cord.

Dyeing: The camped doth is dipped into dye. Very little dye is needed, for the exposed edges of the folds are just barely submerged in the dye, and capillary action does the rest. Some colors move more quickly into the cloth than others, so different design effects occur when the same type of fold is dyed in different colors. "

Shibori technique in these folding forms:

The most interesting one for me is the last option — it looks especially engaging and visually strong.

After that, I started searching for origami shapes whose folding lines could perfectly match the drawing. More details about this research can be found in the origami section; here I will only mention the option I chose. The most suitable and commonly used origami form for this project is

Dying steps¶

As I mentioned earlier, natural dyeing includes several steps. It is a long process, but the result is very interesting and unique. These are the main stages of natural dyeing:

Washing with soda ash
Tanning (in my case, using tea)
Mordanting with aluminum sulfate
Dyeing

Photo by summer's botanical dyes page

Before doing anything, the first and most important step is to weigh the fabric.

This step helps us understand how much material we are working with and allows us to correctly calculate all the next stages — washing with soda ash, tannin treatment, mordanting with aluminum sulfate (alum), and natural dyeing.

In natural dyeing, everything is calculated based on the Weight of Fabric (WOF). So the fabric weight becomes our reference point.

Wash¶

This process is about preparing the fabric for the next stages. The goal is to wash the fabric properly so that all dirt and dust are removed. This is not done like normal laundry, where we simply put clothes into a washing machine. Instead, we prepare a solution of water with soda ash.

This is not standard washing. The fabric is scoured in a heated soda ash solution.

Materials

Linen fabric (250 g in my case)
Water (enough to fully submerge fabric)
Soda ash (Na₂CO₃)

Process

Fill a pot with enough water to fully cover the fabric.
Add soda ash (approximately 1 tablespoon for 250 g fabric).
lace the fabric in the solution.
Heat the bath to approximately 80°C.
Maintain temperature for 2 hours.
Stir every 10–15 minutes to ensure even treatment.
Turn off heat and allow the bath to cool gradually.
Rinse fabric thoroughly to remove soda ash residue.

Excess soda ash can be difficult to rinse out and may remain in the fabric.

I did it in two steps because in the first part, when I tried to heat the pot to 70–80°C, it took two or three hours and the water only reached about 60°C. I couldn’t understand why it was taking so long. Time passed and it was getting late, so I turned off the fire and left the pot with the fabric in the same place overnight.

The next day, I used two burners and started heating the water again. After about one and a half hours, the temperature reached around 70–80°C. I reduced the heat and kept it at that temperature for two hours, stirring it regularly. Then I left it to rest for about an hour more before moving it to another surface and washing it by hand.

During this process, I understood that the fabric was not very clean. I should have repeated the whole washing process because the fabric was quite dirty and needed to be washed twice. However, since I was making shibori and didn’t need a perfectly even surface everywhere, it was acceptable. Because of that, I just washed it by hand with fresh water, and it was ready for the next step.

Tannin¶

Tannin is an important part of natural dyeing. These are natural astringent compounds of plant origin. They help cellulose threads connect with the dye, allowing it to penetrate deeper and making the color brighter and more stable. Cellulose fibers include cotton, linen, and hemp.

Tannin is made from natural ingredients such as plants or tea. Depending on which source you use, the tannin can influence the undertone of the final color. The guide below helps to understand this better:

Gallic/Clear: Gallnut, Tara, Sumac (adds minimal color).
Yellow/Ellagic: Pomegranate, Myrobalan, Black Oak.
Red-Brown/Catechic: Cutch, Tea, Mimosa.

Because I didn’t have much time, I decided to use black tea to make the tannin bath. I bought the most common (and cheaper) black tea and calculated the WOF. I chose to use 200% WOF because tea connects weaker than some other tannin-rich plants. I used 500 g of black tea.

I heated the tea with water for 1 hour (it would be better to heat it for 2 hours) and then left it overnight, until it cooled down completely. After that, I separated the liquid from the tea leaves. (You can also put the tea leaves in cheesecloth, tie it, and keep it in the bath.)

Then I added more water so that the fabric could move freely inside the pot and started heating again. I raised the temperature to 60°C and kept it there for 2 hours, mixing every 10–15 minutes. After 2 hours, I turned off the heat and left the fabric in the bath for 24 hours.

Mordant¶

A mordant is a substance, typically a metal salt (such as alum, iron, or tin), used in dyeing to chemically bind natural dyes to fibers. It is a very important step.

For this process, I used alum at 15% WOF. In my case: 250 g × 15% = 37.5 g of alum.

Usually, you heat the water to about 80°C, dissolve the alum in it, and then add the fiber. In my case, I dissolved the alum separately in heated water and then added this solution to cold water. After that, I added the fabric and started heating.

It is not strictly necessary to keep it at high temperature for a very long time, but I tried to maintain a temperature of around 70–80°C for about two hours. It is important to mix the fabric every 10–15 minutes to ensure even mordanting.

After two hours, I turned off the heat and left the fabric in the mordant bath for about 24 hours.

Dyeing bath preparations¶

For dyeing, I preferred to use red onion peel. It gives a really beautiful green color. It looks amazing on silk, but on other fibers it also produces interesting results. The first reason I chose it was the vibrant green color, and the second reason was practical — it is winter, and I didn’t have many plant options available.

The color we achieved with onion peels during the Fabric Academy fourth week:

To achieve a stronger color, I would use 200% WOF. In this case, 100% WOF already gives a good result, and you can adjust the intensity by increasing or decreasing the percentage, or by controlling how long the fabric stays in the dye bath.

For my work, I needed 500 g of onion peels. It was hard to find, but I was lucky to buy them at the market. They were originally collected for dyeing Easter eggs. I put the peels in water and heated them to around 80°C, keeping it at that temperature for 2 hours. I stirred the peels every 15 minutes and made sure the water did not boil. Afterward, I let the bath cool and strained it through gauze to remove the peels and any dirt.

Linen cutting and folding¶

This part was quite difficult because linen is unstable and cutting it is really hard. Normally, you could remove any extra threads to make it cleaner, but my fabric had helpful additional edges. The corners had added parts with equal sides and length, so I used them as guides.

I started folding the fabric into rectangles with the same thickness and ironed it carefully, following the book instructions. I tried to cut along each line to make sure the dye would develop in the way I wanted.

Book instructions:

My working process:

Following the book steps, I folded and ironed the fabric as precisely and as evenly as I could. After folding it into squares, I cut the two ends in slightly uneven parts and started forming triangles.

It was more difficult because the fabric was tight and the corners could not sit perfectly, but I did the best I could. I cut wooden pieces in the size I needed and placed them on both sides. Using threads, I tied and stretched the fabric tightly. With the help of sticks, I twisted the strings further to press the fabric even harder.

At this stage, the preparation is finished.

Shibori dyeing¶

I had the dye bath ready, the shibori prepared, and it was time for dyeing. Ideally, I should have soaked the shibori in clean water first, left it for some time, and only then placed it in the dye bath. However, unexpectedly, the water was turned off, and I had no other option but to put the dry shibori directly into the dye bath and start heating it.

I heated the bath to around 80°C and kept it at that temperature for two hours, mixing every 15 minutes. After that, I left the fabric in the dye bath for at least 24 hours before removing it.

I also added a small piece of fabric that followed the same preparation process as the shibori and placed it in the dye bath together with it.

What we had after 24 hours:

Unbagging:

The result:

The small peace: