natural dye & shibori workshop
This workshop combines two techniques: shibori and natural dyeing with plants. Shibori (絞 り) is a Japanese manual resist dyeing technique, which produces a number of different patterns on fabric. Each participant will learn some basic ways of tying, pinching and folding fabrics using rubber bands, clamps, pegs, and string, to create a one-of-a-kind organic cotton bandana. The workshop also explores the beauty of natural colour using plants. Teaching how to extract pigments from plants or food waste to make a dye bath, the participant will have a chance to dye their shibori-bandanas in them. There will be 2 colours of choice, made from heritage dye plants such as madder, and food waste available on the occasion such as onion skins, turmeric, black tea, carrot tops or avocado pitch.
Workshop Length
1 session / 2 hours
First hour – Introduction
- Welcome and brief introduction about dyeing with plants and shibori.
- Preparing the natural dyeing baths
Second hour – Practice
- Basic folding shibori techniques
- Dyeing the bandanas in natural dye bath
- Unfold the bandanas and discuss
Material provided
- 1 Organic cotton bandana 60 cm square per person (pre-mordant, ready to dye)
- Dye plants (onion skins, madder, turmeric, black tea, hibiscus, goldenrod or others)
