kimberly ollis
828.403.6477
  • Home
  • Galleries
    • Scriptural Art Quilts
    • Therapeutic Art Quilts
    • Artistically Enhanced Photography
  • Shows & Events
  • Workshops & Techniques
  • Contact
  • Artist Statement

Shibori Shirt

5/7/2012

2 Comments

 
I had a really comfy white shirt that I liked to wear a lot!  One day, I looked down and saw an ugly stain of unknown origin.  I immediately thought, "I think this shirt is 100% cotton and I could dye it," (light bulb over my head).  Then I thought, I could do a neat Shibori technique, stitching and gathering, on it and turn it into a one of a kind piece of wearable art.  So, here is how I did it...
Picture
First, I sketched some random leaf shapes with long, wavy stems with a light pencil. Then I hand stitched each part of the shape separately, this is important. Notice my stitches are uneven, that's okay, it really doesn't matter. I stitched the front and back of the shirt at the same time, so I have a design on the front and back of the shirt, you may choose to just do the front if you'd prefer.
Picture
It's important to use a strong, heavy weight of thread, because if the thread breaks, you'll have to restitch it. I've used double strands of a hand quilting thread, which works great. Another important tip is to begin and end your stitches on the same side of the shirt. In other words, if you come up from the bottom/back of the shirt for your first stitch, then go back down to the bottom/back with your last stitch, you thread must begin and end on the same side of the shirt. Also, leave a little tail long enough to make a knot hanging down on each section.
Picture
See my ugly stain! It's best to start on one side, right or left, and work your way to the other. Less @#*!!**& that way. Remember, stitch the leaf shape and the wavy stem separately, otherwise the design will not be distinct. Once you've stitched each section, pull the threads and bunch the fabric up as tight as you can. Holding the fabric tightly, tie your ends together with double knots, then trim your excess thread away.
Picture
Once you have stitched and tied all of your loose ends, you will think, "this looks awful, I know I've messed this up." If you think that, you will probably be very pleased with the outcome. If you've stitched the elements separately, pulled the fabric tightly together and double tied the ends, then you've done it correctly, and now you're ready to dye it. The areas where you have stitched and gathered will remain somewhat white or at least lighter.
Picture
I love the color of eggplant, so I wanted my new-old shirt to be that color in its new life. I put about three teaspoons of urea in warm water, added about 1/3 cup of non-iodized salt and shook it up in a sealed sauce jar until it was all dissolved, I then added about one table spoon, plus a little more of fiber reactive dye (all the eggplant dye I had left, probably would have used twice that if I'd had it), and shook that equally well in the jar and added it to about four cups of hot water in the bottom of my bucket. After stirring for a while, I added my stitched and gathered shirt. Now, I didn't care if I had even color or not, so I stirred the bath only a few times during the hour and a half that it was in there. If you want more even color, stir it every five minutes or so for that amount of time. After about 20 minutes in the bath, I was ready to add the fixative to make sure the dye bonded with the shirt properly. In the same sauce jar, I mixed three teaspoons of soda ash, I use the kind from the swimming pool section of Lowe's--click on the photo for a link to that supply--it's cheaper than from dye suppliers, into a half a jar of hot water, and shook it up until dissolved. I moved the shirt to one side of the bucket and carefully added the soda ash mixture slowly into the bath. You don't want to pour this in on top of your shirt, as it will cause splotching, and not in a good way. Once it is all added in, stir the bath and your shirt well. The shirt stays in the bath for a total of at least one hour to one hour and a half. You can go more, but you don't need to.
Picture
Here's the finished piece after I rinsed it well and washed it with Synthrapol textile detergent in the washing machine. Notice that the stitching around the collar and across the bodice of the top did not dye the purple color, that is because this shirt was not stitched in cotton by the manufacturer. I like this look, but if you don't you'll need to consider this when you give your old shirt new life like this. Notice the leaf shape to the far left is a little less distinct than the others, that one did not get tied as tightly as the others, so more dye seeped into the gathered places. Now I can wear my favorite old tee again, but now she has a fresh new look. I'm pleased with the outcome, and would definitely recommend trying this.
Picture
Here's a close up of the stitched and gathered effect. Send me your pictures of your stitched and gathered shibori shirts/wearables/fabrics--whatever. Remember, if it's cotton or silk or rayon or viscose or linen, or any other natural fiber, it will dye with fiber reactive dyes. I'd love to see your projects!
Picture
This is an excellent book about Shibori techniques done by Lynne Caldwell! Tons of excellent pictures and step by step instructions. An excellent resource to have on your shelf to refer to over and over. The technique I used on this shirt was featured in this book.
2 Comments
Suzanne Sproul
5/8/2012 04:20:11 am

Darn...... now another thing I have to try..... what a wonderful mind you have Kim! Thanks, I think! lol

Reply
Kim Ollis link
5/11/2012 01:31:32 am

You can do this, Suzanne! Give it a try and you'll be hooked! Send me pictures of your projects when you do it, Okay? :)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    kimberly ollis

    Forty something artistic soul finding her way through life discovering new insights almost every day through the gift of "making."

    View my Work

    Burke Arts Council
    and
    Valdese Heritage Arts Center

    Archives

    November 2014
    October 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Categories

    All
    Commissioned Work
    Therapeutic Work
    Tutorials
    Website Updates
    Workshops

    RSS Feed

    Artists I Love
    Jamie Fingal
    Beth Bailey
    Kristi Steiner
    Wen Redmond
    Rayna Gillman
    Melanie Testa
    Jane Dunnewold
    Lisa Kerpoe
    Lotta Helleberg
    Vyvyan Emery

    Check out the cool stencils offered over @ Stencil Girl
    http://stencilgirlproducts.com/

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.