Shibori is an ancient Japanese art of fabric dyeing, also known as tiedye. It is applied with dyes obtained from plants which are produced after long processes. But nowadays it is made with fabric dyes and simple tools found in every houses.
What fabrics can Shibori be applied?
Shibori can be applied to all fabrics except polyester based ones. The selected color must be darker than the fabric itself. For this reason, white colored fabrics are generally preferred. Cotton and woolen fabrics are the most preferred fabric types.
What are the Shibori techniques?
There are numerous methods in Shibori. Wrapping technique, tying technique, folding technique are the most common techniques.
The essence of these techniques is to give shapes to the fabric for creating create symmetrical or random patterns before applying dye. While making these shapes, we get help from materials such as straw rope, stick and rubber band. Although indigo color is mostly used in traditional Shibori, today the most vibrant colors are chosen by users to give a colorful appearance.
You can make Shibori with Tiedye painting sets specially prepared for this process. These sets contain different colors of paints, painting bottles and auxiliary materials such as rubber bands.
Which dyes can Shibori made with?
As you can use all the tiedye dyes sold in the stores, fabric dyes are also suitable for Shibori. Powder dyes such as Viktoria fabric dye need to be dissolved in warm water before processing. We recommend using a separate dyeing bottle for each color and wearing plastic gloves during the process.