Hello…1..2..3…check…DIY Shibori Tye and Dye…check…broadcasting from the apartment this Sunday arvo..this is me Trumatter and you are listening to Radio 903 {That’s my flat number btw} and I hope I am coming in loud and clear. How have you been fellas? I’m not like an enthusiast of sorts of RJing but given the amount of time I am having to put up a happy voice lately {when the truth is im fuming from within} I might as well monitize that skill 😉 But hey, that’s not what we talk here! Here, we talk fabulous things, DIY, Creating something out of nothing, great, easy recipes and- yeah baby- decor hacks! Specifically: Shibori Tye Dye Technique and How to do that without a sweat!
Speaking of decor hacks: welcome to the coolest tyeanddye technique ever! One that probably violates every Shibori dyeing law as possible but comes out with a great result, and as close to shibori as you can see. There is absolutely no dye involved, no rigorous tye too- just a whole lot of fun and a fabulous tye and dye fabric that you can use to flaunt in your decor. Did I create that interest in you? Did I do a good build up for you to tell me ‘geez man, you shudaa cut that c*** and told us right away’? Yes? Alright then. Maybe it’s time to spill the secret!
Okay, the secret is the Trumatter’s tried and tested acrylic colour! All you need to do is mix acrylic-fabric paint : water in the ratio 1:5. Add a little bit of salt to it. Now, bring it to a simmer and dip your fabric. Believe me you, the effect is going to be just like dye! You can use one colour, multiple colours and this technique works all the time.
But you know, I think it’ll be really bad on my part if I do not talk about Shibori or Bandhni as a technique to dye clothes.
Shibori is a Japanese technique of tie-dyeing fabric where one binds, folds, twists or compresses cloth/fabric and dyes them in indigo. Now the whole thing works around the restraint points: whatever is used to bind the fabric resists the dye resulting in areas that are undyed and partially dyed- a technique that gives Shibori its distinctive design. Honestly, Shibori is vast and there are n number of ways to do it: In here, we are going to explore one that uses plain rubber band to resist the die.
But before I go into the tutorials; I am tempted to share this one Indian cloth dyeing technique called Bandhani. Said to have originated in the Sindh, Bandhani is one technique that is still very popular in India when it comes to dress materials, fabric or sarees. The technique is similar: fabric is meticulously tied and dyed and then dried under sun to fasten the colour. The only differentiating factor is that Shibori is a bit more abstract and achieves one large pattern. While Bandhani is a collection of small designs, collectively etching a pattern. The smallest unit in Bandhani is a bheendi!
When I was doing a small project on Rajasthan tourism I had the chance to know that a meter of cloth can have as many as thousand “Bheendi”. Bheendi are the little knots that are tied with thread. 4 bheendis grouped in a square is a “Kadi”. Going ahead, and depending on the positioning of “Kadi”s the fabric is classified into Kombhi, Ghar Chola, Patori or Chandrokani. Go see them online. It’ll blow your mind!
And now to the much promised, hyped etc Shibori Tye and Dye tutorial!
Here’s what you will need:
Fabric- Whatever you want to dye
Acrylic colour- I wanted to do in shades of blue but not really indigo, so I chose turquoise
Water: 500 ml
Salt: 1 teaspoon
A stainless steel vessel
Rubber bands- depending on the number of knots you want to make. I made 6 broad sections.
Here are the steps:Â
Step 2: Section it and tie rubber bands around it
Step 3: Mix 5 parts water to 1 part colour and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of salt in a heavy bottomed pan and let it come to a simmer. Lower the heat.
Step 4: Create an M shape of the rolled fabric and carefully immerse it in the dye/colour. This is for the stripe design I created.
For the ring pattern, divide your cloth into 8 squares. Just fold it in halves 4 times and you should have distinct lines which you can use as markers. Pinch the middle of each square and tie it with a rubbber band. See image.
So when you soak, dry and untie them, you get two distinct designs. This is way too much fun! But be careful to not open the knots before they are completely dry or the colours will bleed. Best part is, whether you be calculative and tyedye or just randomly make the knots, the end result is going to be stunning! Abstract, meticulous, square, rings and batik inspired: Everything is possible with a bit of paint under your finger nails!
So, yeah…what do you think? Likey? No likey?
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