MORE SHIBORI SAMPLERS

    In the Tuesday Nite Fiber Arts class I've been teaching for about a year and a half now,

we tried out many samplers.

These are a few of mine I experimented with. 

A simple dandelion (note: I forgot to pull the string for the stem above),

thus the stem looks lighter in value then the leaves and flower after stitching was removed.

Also, 

that old thrifted sheeting must have had some oil spots that weren't removed in the cleaning.

I will probable stitch a few bugs over top them.

I believe I've mentioned several times that I love when things like that go wrong.

It forces me to think of more creative solutions.

In this next piece,

 I'm sorry I was too lazy to go back and rotate it to match the finish product below.

Here it is pulled tightly ready for the dip into the indigo bath.

And below after the stitches were removed.

Here is another that I didn't''t bother to rotate,

and it's pulled form below.

The result below.

For some reason I stopped taking photos at this point,

 but managed to get the end result which I really loved here.

It almost feels like a Native American Medicine Wheel.

I also want you to note that unlike the flag I posted the other day,

none of these pieces turned out as bright blue as the flag did.

That's because all of us were using the same vat with many experiments and it became a bit depleted.

So the blue is much more subdued in these samples.

The next time I use the indigo vat I will replenish it.

I was trying to remember the other day how long I've had this vat going

 so I actually went back and searched the blog.

I went back to June 30th, 2012 in a post titled "Shibori Workshop-Part I"

where Long Beach, Ca. artist Shibori Girl Glennis Dolce came to my home/studio

 to teach my students and I the art of Shibori and Indigo Dyeing.

Glennis is a wonderful teacher, 

a fountain of information, 

 and actually grew up in Japan speaking the language.

(I believe she was an army brat there)

Glennis is still teaching thru her website and also at the Japanese American Museum in Los Angeles.

She travels every year back to Japan,

usually leading a tour of Fiber Artists to shop and learn more.

If you ever get a chance I would at lest recommend a visit to her blog and shop.

(Address above)