Shibori
Shibori is the Japanese art of shaped resist dyeing.
Shibori is the Japanese art of shaped resist dyeing. The fabric is compressed by using wrapping, stitching or folding techniques which create a resist when dyeing the fabric. The result is soft patterns and striations that look more complicated than they really are. These instructions are for dyeing fat quarters (18” x 22” pieces of fabric). Then it’s up to you -- use your imagination and turn them into a patchwork quilt, handbag, pillow or quilted jacket. Go ahead, give it a try.
Here are the general instructions for doing three types of Shibori dyeing:
Supplies Needed for Shibori Dyeing
- Rit dye, Powder or Liquid
- Cotton fabric, 18” squares or 18” x 22” fat quarters
- PVC pipe, 4” diameter x 12”
- Ball of cotton twine or mason line
- Masking tape
- Rubber bands
- Topstitching thread & hand embroidery needle
- 4-cup measuring cup
- Large spoon
- Foam brush
- Plastic tray
- Large 3-gallon plastic container for dyeing
- 1 cup plastic container for dyeing
- 2 plastic squirt bottles
- Several small plastic containers
- Plastic wrap
- Plastic table cover
- Rubber gloves
Helpful Hints
- Rit is a user friendly, all-purpose dye, available both as a powder and a liquid. The liquid dye is already mixed and is more concentrated than the powder. If a recipe calls for liquid dye and you prefer to use the powder, just use half as much.
- The recipes given are for using small amounts of fabric suitable for use in quiltmaking, pillows or craft projects. If fabric is cut too large, there will be too many layers of fabric for the dye to penetrate.
