Hi
s
t
or
yofShi
bor
i
Wikipedia
In Japan, the earliest known example of cloth dyed with a shibori technique dates from the
8th century; it is among the goods donated by the Emperor Shōmu to the Tōdai-ji in Nara.
Until the 20th century, not many fabrics and dyes were in widespread use in Japan. The main
fabrics were silk and hemp, and later cotton. The main dye was indigo and, to a lesser extent,
madder and purple root.
Shibori and other textile arts, such as tsutsugaki, were applied to all of these fabrics and
dyes.
Techniques
Ne-maki shibori example.
There are an infinite number of ways one can bind, stitch, fold, twist, or compress cloth for
shibori, and each way results in very different patterns. Each method is used to achieve a
certain result, but each method is also used to work in harmony with the type of cloth used.
Therefore, the technique used in shibori depends not only on the desired pattern, but the
characteristics of the cloth being dyed. Also, different techniques can be used in conjunction
with one another to achieve even more elaborate results.
Kanoko shibori
Kanoko shibori is what is commonly thought of in the West as tie-dye. It involves binding
certain sections of the cloth to achieve the desired pattern. Traditional shibori requires the
use of thread for binding. The pattern achieved depends on how tightly the cloth is bound
and where the cloth is bound. If random sections of the cloth are bound, the result will be a
pattern of random circles. If the cloth is first folded then bound, the resulting circles will be in
a pattern depending on the fold used.
12| August-September | RitzyToo! | RitzyToo.com