Shibori Stitched Pillow

Shibori Stitched Pillow

The Japanese often use “hand stitching” as a resist when dyeing fabric. The stitched thread, when pulled tight, can create a great variety of designs from simple to very complex. Long hand-running stitches are used here to create a vertical striated pattern.

Pillow Finished Size: 16" x 16"
 

Supplies Needed

For Dyeing

  • Rit Liquid Dye: Sunshine Orange & Violet
  • 1 ¼ Yd. 45” Wide Cotton Fabric
  • Topstitching Hand Thread & Embroidery Needle
  • Tailor’s Chalk
  • 2 Plastic Squirt Bottles
  • Small plastic disposable container (3 cup)
  • Glass Bowl
  • Measuring Cup
  • Large Spoon
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Plastic Table Cover

For Sewing

  • 16” x 16” Pillow Form
  • 2 Yds. 3/16” Cotton Cording
  • Coordinating Thread
  • Hand Needle
  • Ruler & Scissors
  • Straight Pins
  • Sewing Machine

 

 

Instructions

Fabric Preparation

  1. Wash and dry fabric to remove any sizing or finishes.
  2. Cut three pieces of fabric: 18” x 22”, 18” square and 26” square. Each piece of fabric will be dyed separately.

Dyeing Pillow Top

  1. Draw chalk lines on the 18” x 22” piece of fabric in the long direction about 2” apart. Using a hand embroidery needle and topstitching thread, sew long running stitches over marked lines.

     
  2. After all the stitching is completed, pull the threads to gather the fabric and knot the threads to hold the pleats in place.

     
  3. Immerse the tied fabric in warm water while preparing the dyes.

 

Dye Preparation:

  1. Cover work surface with plastic table cover. Shake liquid dyes before measuring. Wearing rubber gloves, measure and mix the dyes as follows and pour into squirt bottles:

    1 T. Sunshine Orange with 2 Cups very Hot water
    1 T. Violet with 1 Cup very Hot Water
     

  2. Remove tied fabric from water. Squeeze out excess water. Place fabric in small plastic dish. Squirt Sunshine Orange over the pleated fabric. Turn and apply to other side.

     
  3. Remove excess Sunshine Orange dye and then squirt Violet dye randomly over folds.

     
  4. Microwave: Cover dish with plastic wrap. Line microwave with paper towels. Heat set dyes in the microwave on HIGH for 1 -2 minutes. Wearing rubber gloves, carefully remove dish from the microwave.
  5. Rinse in cool water and cut threads. Continue rinsing until water runs clear. Wash in warm water with mild detergent; rinse and dry flat.

Marble Dyeing Pillow Back

  1. Take one 18” square of fabric; immerse in warm water and then squeeze out excess water. Scrunch up wet fabric and push into a small plastic container.
  2. Dye Preparation: Measure and mix Sunshine Orange and Violet as above. Pour Sunshine Orange over fabric; then pour Violet over top. Press down on fabric with spoon to mix dyes.
  3. Microwave, rinse and launder as above.

Dyeing Purple Fabric for Piping

  1. Take remaining 26” square of fabric; immerse in warm water.
  2. Dye Preparation: Measure and mix 3 Tablespoons Violet dye with 1 ½ quarts hot water in glass bowl.
  3. Remove fabric and squeeze out excess water. Push into dye bath. Microwave, rinse and launder as above.

Sewing Pillow

Note: Stitch using ½” seam allowances.

  1. Cut one 17” square piece of fabric from Shibori-dyed pillow top. Cut one 17” square from marble-dyed pillow back.
  2. Make Fabric Piping: Fold Violet dyed 26” fabric square in half diagonally to locate the bias line. Cut bias strips 1 3/4” wide from fabric. Join bias strips with ¼” seams as shown,

    creating one long continuous strip that equals the perimeter of the pillow plus 4” (about 72”). Wrap wrong side of bias strip around the cotton cord,

    lining up raw edges. Using a zipper foot, stitch as close as possible to the cord Finished piping should have ½” seam allowances.

  3. Pin piping to right side of pillow top with raw edges aligned. At corners, clip piping to line of stitching to ease it around corners. Leave longer tail of piping at one end.
  4. Machine stitch piping to pillow top, beginning 1” from pinned end. Stop stitching 2” from point where cording ends will meet. Cut long end of cording so it butts up with the other end. Trim bias fabric so it overlaps other end by 1”. Turn under raw edge ½” and wrap over the other end and finish stitching.

     
  5. Pin pillow top with piping to pillow back, right sides together. Stitch together, leaving an 8” opening centered along one side. Trim corners and turn fabric right sides out.
  6. Insert pillow form and hand stitch opening closed.

Details