Shibori Experiments

Recently I started experimenting with Shibori. I had played around with tie dying years ago, but when I saw an exhibit of Japanese kimonos that included some stunning examples of shibori, I wanted to see if I could have more control over the dying process than previously.

I had a pile of 14 inch squares of white cotton to use for practice. After some preliminary trials, in which the dye was too light to really show what was going on, I switched to rit in a slow cooker. I could put up to six of the squares into the cooker at a time and obtain reasonable results.

Of course having a dozen or so dyed squares was nice, but being practical by nature, I wanted them to be of some use. I had earlier made a pleated bag from a pattern on Pinterest, so that was my first project. More detailed than a simple tote bag, it allowed  me to combine several of the squares into a bag, which because it has a waterproof lining, should be useful this summer.

Being very frugal, I retied and clamped some of the too-light pieces that had been dyed in tumeric, and redyed them in the blue. Those I combined with some navy blue cotton to make a table runner.

My last example is a bleach out experiment using an old burgundy t shirt. I pleated both halves from the center outward and clipped it with wooden clothespins, then placed it in a bucket with about a cup of bleach and enough water to let it spread out. I didn't think much had happened, expecting white to appear, but was pleased with the results. I cut down the t shirt before bleaching, and sewed it up, with a cotton facing after the process.

I still have about a dozen dyed square to use and am trying to decide whether to piece them together and make a summer top, or combine them with a plain fabric and use them for the skirt of a dress.
I'll save that for a later post.