Shibori is the Japanese name for another technique for dying cloth. Sometimes in the West we use the term "Tie Dye" and in India they call it "Lahiria". But there are many ways to create the shibori patterns by folding, twisting, stitching, binding, pleating and compressing the fabric.

Each method used depends on the fabric being dyed and the pattern desired. There is a certain harmony that is aspired to between the type of fabric to be dyed and the particular technique used to acheive the pattern. And the shibori techniques can be layered to make a richer and more complex result. Also, if the cloth is not ironed after it has been dyed, a very nice texture is achieved that adds to the richness of the garment. 

Here in the shop we have many examples of the different Shibori techniques. The top in the photos is made of a silk that has been stitched to form pleats, and then dyed. We also have samples of the Lahiria technique where you can see the way the fabric is wrapped and tied. As well as some Lahiria shawls that have been dyed many times to give beautiful color gradations. There are a few shawls that have been made with a tie dye technique using thread to make very small dots. Some are all over and some are arranged into very complex patterns and dyed in different colors. Whatever the specific technique, they are all made painstakingly by hand and are very beautiful.

These shawls were printed using print blocks and a resist technique. The point of a resist print is that the resisting material does not remain on the cloth, it leaves the fabric ground color behind, while the part of the fabric that was not covered takes the dye color when put in the dye bath.

So the shawl on the left shows the simplest type of resist print. A printer has taken a wood print block - around 6" square or so depending on the print repeat - and applied by hand the resist (typically wax) to the shawl. This is a time-consuming process, especially if there is a border on the print, as the pattern repeats must match perfectly. There are no machines to calibrate or large silk screens, this is all done by hand.

Once the resist has been applied to the fabric and is dry, the shawl can be dipped in the dye bath. The fabric takes the color except for where the resist has been applied. After the dye has set, the resist must be removed. With a wax resist, the fabric is typically put in boiling water to remove the wax.

As in the 2 examples on the right of the photo, often other colors are printed over the initial resist pattern to give the design more depth and color. The printer has to again be very careful to match the motifs exactly with what has been printed already when going back over the fabric with the new print block.

Another technique, when printing reds or browns, is to use a mordant.  This is something that you will see often at pua.  The mordants used in India are typically alum, iron and tannin. Alum helps to produce reds and pinks when used with madder plant extract dyes. Iron when used with tannins produces black. Often we speak of madder reds and iron dyes here at the shop.

The mordant is a paste that is applied with a print block. The dye then reacts with the mordant to dye those parts of the fabric, leaving the rest of the fabric unaffected. The reds in the 2 shawls to the right in the photo were made using mordants. Then there can be even more layers of print and color added with print blocks and regular dyes.

As you see it is a complex and time consuming process. But the results are stunning!

We have just received the new Fall collection from CYDWOQ. They are so beautiful! And they coordinate perfectly with our new Fall pua collection. :) 

Already we've had lots of people stopping by after seeing them in the display window. They can't resist coming in!