Shibori Tie-dyeing with Sakura wood chip!

Let’s tie dyeing with Shibori technique!
Obiage is a scarf-like rectangular piece of cloth which helps keep obi and decorates kimono.

Now the cherry blossom season has come in Japan and a tie-dyeing workshop was held at KASOYO (a kimono shop & cafe in Tokyo) with cherry (sakura) wood chips.

We present you six movies about this tie-dye workshop and some methods of tie-dyeing
This series of movies reports the workshop and how to make patterns of tie-dyeing, and shows a coordination sample using the obiage and kimono with spring color.

You can watch the movies on YouTube.

Preparation

KASONO, a kimono shop & cafe in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
Today I’ll try to tie-dye Obiage with cherry wood chips.
The instructor is the owner of this shop, Mr. Kotaro NAKANO.

The owner of this shop, Mr. Kotaro NAKANO

Pink and gray colors will come out.
It varies depending on the condition or the temperature.

Cherry wood chips for dyeing will be decocted.

Mordant. Alum for pink and iron for gray.

Liquid extracted from cherry wood chips.

a white crape — A white crepe for dyeing. Those who don’t wear kimono can dye a silk scarf instead.

Tie-dyeing with Threads (Spot patterns)

An easy way of tie-dyeing;

Push a stick from the back side and fix it with a rubber band.

After winding a rubber band three times around the base, wind up to the tip and down to the base.

Pull out the stick. Remove air and one pattern will be done.

When you make about two dozen of the patterns, the design must be a nice art work.

Big patterns are also recommended.
You can make one pattern first, and then make bigger pattern below it.
Wind up a band and pull out the stick, and repeat it several times.
And the patterns will be like the solar system.

You can think always outside the box!

When you want to make a tinier pattern, use a thread instead of a rubber band.

The initial starting part is like this. And the end of the thread won’t come loose.

Wind the thread round the stick. Pull out the stick at this time.

You can’t make the pattern tiny if pullingTighten the thread. out it later.

Wind up the other side in a clockwise direction. Make a loop inside in the same direction. Put the end side under the root side.

When making a pattern without a particular plan, its shape will be roundish square.
Because the cloth isn’t stretchable longitudinally and laterally but obliquely.
So the cloth will shrink and the shape of the pattern becomes square.

If you want to make a round shape, sew the part in the shape of round and tighten the thread in advance.

Tie-dyeing by accordion fold (Stripe pattern)

Stripe patterns will appear.

This is made as follows.

Put the cloth into your hand like this. Fix it, and wind about twice around the position you are holding.

It’s less enjoyable to make only this one, but it becomes more interesting by putting small patterns on the opposite side.

Abstract pattern

In this case, it becomes beautiful to dye it pink first, and gray next.

Crumple it into a ball. Wind with a rubber band. That’s all.

Wind with a rubber band. That’s all.
The process will end soon.

Dye once in this form.
The inside remains whiter than you thought, turn inside out and dye it again.

If you want to make the design more interesting, tie the parts you like at the beginning.
Make small patterns with threads.
And the design will be a nice art work.

Hexagon & square patterns

When you use obiage, patterns don’t appear as it’s folded.
See below.

The easiest way is folding it into squares. Whatever kind of folding it is, you must fold it into a screen-like shape.

Dyestuff can’t reach inside in this way.

By holding it with sticks lengthwise, you can make banding patterns.

By holding it obliquely, squares are made.

As for this one, the process is more complex.

Fold it forming equilateral triangles. Fold into pleats to the end.

Once you finish, hold one side horizontally with sticks.

When you hold a position which is close to an angle, small hexagons are made.
The converse is also true.

The closer to a side you hold, the bigger shapes are made.

Dyeing & Coordinating with Kimono and Obi

Immerse the clothes in water once. You can dye them without unevenness by immersing them in water.

Color with dye. It’s possible to dye a part deeply.

Repeat this process as it will turn out to be your favorite color.

This gray is the color from cherry wood. When it becomes dry, the color will be lighter by 30 percent or so.

A total fitting image with spring colors.

The design of obi is an image of cherry blossoms and many petals falling from tree branches.

You can dye them without unevenness by immersing them in water.

How do you feel about seeing the cherry blossoms wearing this outfit?

Mayumi

Hi! I’m an enthusiastic Kimono consultant, the manager of Project Japan. Beyond work, I love kimonos, relaxing in onsens, exploring music, and traveling. When it comes to food, I have a soft spot for traditional Japanese cuisine and enjoy Japanese sake, wine, whiskey, and coffee.
As a web and video producer, I keep up with the latest in tech.