In the beginning, there was…..
This week, I am revisiting an old technique; shibori. An extremely simplified way to explain Shibori is as an ancient Japanese method of binding cloth in various ways, and then dyeing it into patterns. Toshiko Ito , in his work Tsujigahana, the Flower of Japanese Textiles, suggests that the use of resist dyeing in Japan dates back to prehistory.
In 1983, Yoshiko Wada published her seminal text, “Shibori, the Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing.” This study exploded into university textile departments across the United States, and through the last two decades of the twentieth century a myriad of textile artists used these techniques, altering the face of textile art.
I love it because it is so very tactile. And many of the resist techniques involve stitching, stitching the fabric in certain ways to resist the dye and make patterns. I have not practiced it in quite a while, but this week I am revisiting it as another weapon in my pattern arsenal for boro scraps. I mainly work in wool and silk; the photo above has two scarves in it, a green one that I plan to over dye, and a white silk that is in its beginning stages.
The dye will travel in and around the ties, finding its spots to bind to the fabric, altering its chemistry, changing its shape and its color. The alchemy never ceases to enthrall me.
Soon I will be opening my virtual studio. I can’t wait.
Carol LeBaron
