Shibori: Creating Color and Texture On Silk (Crafts Highlights)

Shibori is the Japanese art of what is popularly known as tie-dye. But this ancient resist-dyeing technique goes far beyond the simple craft that is typically used to embellish T-shirts.

In Shibori: Creating Color & Texture on Silk, artist Karren K. Brito demonstrates the modern American rendition of shibori, or prismatic shibori, in which colored silk is pleated and tied around a pole, then overdyed. Only the tops of the pleats absorb the color fully so the hues shift subtly to create a shimmering iridescence.

The book opens with a fascinating overview of the influences on the American version of the shibori technique. Then, it moves on to explain other important aspects of this unique process: “Dyeing Essentials,” for example, discusses how to work with silk and acid dyes, which are easier to use and more environmentally sound than fiber-reactive, vat, or the so-called “natural” dyes; “Creating Resists” illustrates several styles of resist, each of which produces stunning color combinations and elegant pleated effects. Each step in the process is presented separately so that readers can combine them to create their own unique shibori designs.

What’s more, this wonderful guide brims with lavish, full-color photography as well as dazzling examples from prominent American shibori artists.

• Features beautiful projects and gorgeous photography throughout

• Exploits the interest in accessorizing with an easy-to-do craft

• Provides essential information on dyes and the dyeing process

Shibori is the Japanese art of what is popularly known as tie-dye. But this ancient resist-dyeing technique goes far beyond the simple craft that is typically used to embellish T-shirts.

In Shibori: Creating Color & Texture on Silk, artist Karren K. Brito demonstrates the modern American rendition of shibori, or prismatic shibori, in which colored silk is pleated and tied around a pole, then overdyed. Only the tops of the pleats absorb the color fully so the hues shift subtly to create a shimmering iridescence.

The book opens with a fascinating overview of the influences on the American version of the shibori technique. Then, it moves on to explain other important aspects of this unique process: “Dyeing Essentials,” for example, discusses how to work with silk and acid dyes, which are easier to use and more environmentally sound than fiber-reactive, vat, or the so-called “natural” dyes; “Creating Resists” illustrates several styles of resist, each of which produces stunning color combinations and elegant pleated effects. Each step in the process is presented separately so that readers can combine them to create their own unique shibori designs.

What’s more, this wonderful guide brims with lavish, full-color photography as well as dazzling examples from prominent American shibori artists.

• Features beautiful projects and gorgeous photography throughout

• Exploits the interest in accessorizing with an easy-to-do craft

• Provides essential information on dyes and the dyeing process