Shibori Folding Techniques - Tutorial

So after my Monday Musing yesterday (maybe I should call it Monday Moaning!) I thought I better post some actual content on this bog of mine.

And seeing as I was rambling about doing a creative practice project making complex cloth (and I still am considering doing that, I'm just nutting out the way I would actually structure it), I thought I'd post a little video tutorial for you on doing some basic shibori fabric folding to pattern cloth.

Shibori is a Japanese term.  It basically refers to the many ways of manipulating cloth - be it folding, tying, stitching, or clamping - that can be done before placing the fabric in a dye bath.  There are beautiful examples of shibori from highly skilled artisans that you can find if you do a little web searching, but this video shows you nine simple ways to secure your fabric using basic household items.

There wasn't time in the video to show how I actually dye the cloth.  So here is my basic recipe and technique:

Tie or fold your fabrics first and have them ready to go in a small container or plastic zip-lock bag.  Tie your bundles using DRY fabric.  Wear gloves, work in a well ventilated area, and use a dust mask when the dry dye powders are exposed.

This recipe will dye at least five fat quarters, maybe more depending on how small your tied bundles are:

700mls hot water

2 tablespoons non-iodised salt

1 tablespoon soda ash

1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of dye powder (the variance is to allow for when you are mixing colours, sometimes with a complex recipe it is hard to measure tiny amounts and it gets easier if you ‘upsize’ the total dye powder amount)

Remember to use hot water for best dissolving.   Put ingredients into a jug and stir well, or a capped bottle or jar and shake well.  Work quickly as the dye powder starts to react with the soda ash straight away.  Pour this solution onto your tied or folded bundles.  Slosh them around to make sure dye solution has covered them.  Leave to ‘batch’ in a warm place for at least four hours.

Rinse the bundles while they are still tied.  Once the water is clear then you can untie them, keep working in a bucket of water or under a running tap.  Then rinse again.

Enjoy!

Patchwork Lanyard

I had a dream last night.  A really coherent dream about leaving my daughter with a workmate of my husband in a noisy, dirty workshop while I went to work feeling very worried.  Then when I came back to pick her up I was carrying her out and I tripped over a chain, her head hit the ground as we fell.  That's when I woke up (thankfully).

So what's that all about?  Well, I've been working as a locum midwife for the last ten days and I don't think I could have a clearer indication of Mummy Guilt than that dream!

There has been little or no sewing, basic housework only, a funeral service for a dear friend and one-pot dinners.  It was a grand reminder of how easy my life usually is.  Kudos to all of you who work full time and manage kids and households as well.

Anyway.  Today I have a 75th surprise birthday party to go to.  Being so busy I haven't had time to think about a gift so I set to this morning and in half an hour I had this:

This lovely lady who is having a birthday has a tendency to leave her keys on cafe counters.  I'm hoping that a beautiful patchwork lanyard might help her keep them safe!

To make it I cut three inch fabric strips of various lengths (1 1/2 inches upwards).  I sewed them together end to end, pressed the seams open and then pressed the strip in half lengthways.  I then folded each lengthwise edge into the middle fold and pressed it again so those long raw edges were hidden in the middle (like making bag handles).  I also pressed under one short edge by half an inch.

Now here comes the only slightly tricky bit.  I threaded a keyring onto the strip, then I tucked the raw short edge into the pressed under one and pinned it to hold it.  Then I top stitched down each long edge, moving the ring along as I went.  You end up with a big ring of fabric with the little ring on it.

Then I moved the keyring to the area where I tucked in the short end and pinched the fabric together above the metal ring.  I zig-zagged across the fabric to hold the keyring in place and to catch the tucked in ends neatly so they didn't unfold.

Done.

I found the keyring in my box of treasures but I know you can buy them at the hardware store or any place that cuts keys.  You could also put a clip onto the lanyard and you can pick them up at sewing stores or maybe the hardware store too.

I can see many more of these in my future!  

Fabric Book Cover

So I spent yesterday sewing, photographing and writing a tutorial for a collaged, lined, fabric book cover.  It makes a nice Christmas present if you are looking for some inspiration for a crafty gift.  I've added it to my tabs up the top there and I'd appreciate any feedback on how easy it is to read and follow - being my first real tutorial and all!

Happy stitching!