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)

 

A FEW E-MAILS LATER

A few of you e-mailed and asked for the directions to stitch the Shibori flag with. 

 I looked back thru my photos and found a picture of it.

To get two different value ranges on the front side of fabric,

I running stitched the star area on the front of piece,

 then I flipped piece over and stitched striped area from the back side.

And if you've never tried Shibori,

 you then pull as tightly as you can on each of the doubled threads and knot them along design edge.

It will look something like this below.

I then went into my indigo vat,

but you could go into any natural or commercial dye you have available.

I believe I dipped this at least 3 times into the indigo vat,

rinsed and ironed it,

 then ran it thru my washing machine with my darks and into the dryer.

Of course I used 100 % cotton from an old sheet (garage sale find).

The older sheets are easier to stitch thru.

And of course I wash them in my hottest water with a bit of bleach to get them sparkly clean first.

Don't want any cooties.

Ha ha

TO HONOR OUR FALLEN HEROS

A Shibori stitched flag dipped in my indigo vat.

 

The Best Part

During our lunch break as the kids were finishing eating, they asked my husband to help them play a song on the guitar.  Not only did he learn their song but they all started singing and laughing together.  It was a very special moment for me.

Another perk to the workshop was that Glennis left me a whole vat of indigo dye.  So I played a little more with some thrift store dollies and a small piece of cotton.  I really liked my baby dragonfly and butterfly.

An even better, after we unwrapped the shibori poles that we had twined over with cotton string, I was able to unravel it all so that my students and I can embroider with it next school year.  Just look at all the different values, gradations and intensities we achieved.  So cool.

Shibori Workshop - Part One

My 3-d students were extremely fortunate to have worked with renown Shibori/Indigo Dye Textile Artist, Glennis Dolce, also known as Shibori Girl.  See here blog and info here.  She found us thru my blog that is highlighted on Jude Hill's blog., and contacted me asking if my students and I would be interested in taking a workshop with her??  Are you serious???   YES!!!  So on June 16th, several of my most serious art students had their parents drive them out to my studio in Anaheim Hills for this all day workshop.  I think about 12 kids showed up and it was just the right amount for my studio space.

Glennis started by showing many beautiful examples of Shibori, and also discussing how indigo dye is made.  It was extremely interesting and I know we all learned so much from her vast knowledge.

Here Glennis is showing us the correct process for dyeing the fabric in the indigo vat.  She is also demonstrating how to dye in the ombre technique, from light to dark.

Our first project was to do some simple lines and shapes in the Shibori technique.  Here are Aman and Karisma working on their pieces.  I also got to participate.  My lines and shapes are below.  First we drew them with a pencil, then we stitched them with a basting stitch with a big knot at one end and a long tail at the other.

Next we dunked the cotton lawn cloth ( a tad thinner then regular cotton) in water, then pulled the tails as tightly as possible and knotted them, then submerged them in our first indigo dip (below).

Here are my second and third dips.  With each dunk the fiber gets a deeper blue after we take it out of the vat and it hits the air.  Oxygen turns the dye from a turquoise color to a brilliant blue.  We also rinsed the cloth between each dip in another vat of water.    

Finally my fourth dip and rinse.  Now the really fun part comes when you get to pull out all those stitches to reveal your design (below).

 

Here are Nikki and Phoebe with their first project, and then all the kids results below.

Our second project was to learn to make a dragonfly.  We where all so excited to do this.  Again we started by drawing our design, then using basting stitches for each shape.  But the tail was done in a very cool, different technique.  We made a pleat where the tail was then stitched thru the bottom of the pleat.  See below.

To see the results scroll down to Part Two.

Shibori Workshop - Part Two

I know I had as much fun as the kids did.  Here I'm taking out my dragonfly stitches, and am so excited to see my results (below)

Glennis was able to show us two more techniques before the day was over.  I had purchased silk scarfs for each student to do this next project with.  Glennis has made this really cool rolling devise to help in the process.  You tape your fabric to the pvc pipe, then roll lots of string around entire piece and tie it off.  Then Glennis shows us how to scrunch it down.  You leave it right on the pipe to do the dyeing.

Here are Pauline and Joan taking out their dragonfly stitches.

Below is the pipe that has been dipped several times for desired darkness of color.

This was our clothesline, the back of Glennis' car.

 Karisma is helping Pauline or Joan to unwrap her scarf.

My husband Jim got in the act and tyed this t-shirt, then dyed it.  I really like how it turned out.

The last technique you can see here with the 3 others.  We folded a piece of cloth many times on itself, then clamped shapes onto either side before dipping into the indigo.  The square piece right under the t-shirt was mine.  I fan folded both on the vertical and the diagonal then clamped circle shapes to each side.  After my first dip and rinse, I moved the circles half over then clamped and dyed again, just to see what would happen.  I think I got some really nice moon shapes.  Aman and Tiffany got some nicely clamped pieces as well. 

And here are many of the rolled and scrunched works, each one so unique.  I know the kids really enjoyed themselves.  I hope to host many more workshops throughout this next year.  Let me know if any of you are interested out there in attending a workshop here in my home/studio.  I'd love to set something up.  In can be in any of the art/craft forms that I teach.