Digital printing for Shibori 2

As this shows - after washing, the image is somewhat paler... some, though not a lot, of the ink washes out... very much like washing the excess of dye out of a fabric. The first question has been answered... it is possible to make a digital print on silk and then use the fabric for shibori... yep... on on ....

The silk has been stitched in two directions and will be gathered and dyed... and steamed for shibori in the hope that some imagery will remain in between the gathers and the structure will give even more of an organic feel.

Printing on organic skins

Very exciting - these are digital prints on Paverpol... The upper one was coated with Golden digital ground; the image is crisp and clear. The lower piece was not coated... and yet the image is strong and the ink quite well adhered to the surface, in fact I like the rather speckled nature it has given to this image. It certainly isn't as fixed as the upper one but hey, the potential here is mind-boggling.

What do you think of the photography? Normal digital camera but spectacular new studio light... Xmas present for me and JAM.

Digital printing for Shibori

This image is of a digital print on silk strapped down to its carrier sheet. I am now going to try a couple of things...using this fabric and will psot the results later.

Shibori 16

This is a nudibranch - stitched shibori worm.
People who have seen this worm are only too keen to handle it and 'play' with it. Which is very encouraging for an interactive installation - any galleries reading please get in touch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The stabilised parts become more flexible on handling and I am very keen to make one of these much much longer, and rounder!
the colours and bizarreness are in keeping with Nudibranchs I know and love....

Shibori 15

Putting digital image into shibori

The surface is painted with Golden digital ground - transparent and white

The image is printed onto the surface and allowed to dry and then coated with a waterproof sealer for shibori process

Fabric is then gathered and steamed.
The image is intact.
The fabric has a skin like quality and suggests snake skin - because of the imagery I guess
the Skin is very organic because of how it flexes and will return to its gathered shape.

Shibori 14

Not quite what I am looking for but this will make for one evil Nudibranch

Went to check on the dimensions of the gallery space at Epcor for February and took in a few galleries.
Tried to visit the Triangle Gallery and saw the work of Ryan Marsh Fairweather - these organisms crawling up a wall create an assemblage very much like I hope to with my Shibori work. Aren't they funny. Ryan if you see this and object to the image please let me know and I will remove it.

Truck Gallery (beware, both do not open till 11am) Had a coffee at Arts Central (very pleasant), then went to find the Weiss Gallery and "100 pieces of work by Judy Chicago (now down to about 20 pieces of work because of the need to cater for their commitments to their other artists....) The lady there was most encouraging and did assure me they would be bringing out other works from the collection to show before end Jan when the exhibition of Judy's works will end. Maybe one or two will be textile???

Had a pleasant lunch with John and we sat in full sunshine! Is this winter in Calgary?

Then back to Truck - work by Tammy McGrath - Voir Dire very thought provoking - about the burning of books... which took me back to Kristelnacht so was quite a disturbing experience. The commentary was very illuminating leading one to consider what might be coming out from the ashes, which in this case were dark "ominous creatures.... mythological beasts.... protectors of the persecuted books, or provocateurs of their evil demise."

Whilst collecting items from around the arty places I saw that Ron Mueck's work is at the Glenbow till Jan... might take a look at that exhibition, although I thought I never would.

Galleries at the Epcor had interesting displays, noteably the City of Magpies from The New Gallery.

Lots of lovely textile... mixed media with found objects, made by some of the homeless in Calgary under mentorship of local artists. A stunning window display.

Hope to go to see Dagmar Dahle - Weaving Van Goch... Looks very interesting, I wonder if I can get a group together to see this and other works.

A great day out - I felt like I was on holiday. So many more galleries to visit.

Did I show you this? (Don't look Lynn)

This is a small piece that I am sending to an International Art Exchange.
Heat bonded and etched stuff and hand stitching with couched plastic tube.

Shibori 13

Not unlucky.
The sculptural samples I have made are very exciting and even this one, which was orginially a metre of silk, and is now a small worm-like tube that no-one, from 3 years to 50, wants to touch... is providing a lot of food for thought. As I 'play' with it and try different forms it suggests many writhing pulsating nematodes ... and so on... I know I am going to make this bigger and bigger and start to use a machine for the gathering instead of by hand. Here goes...
Also - Major break through with stiffening the shibori and providing a stable surface for hand stitching... Small sample only so far but it is exciting progress. On On....

Shibori 12

Gathered two directions
Just taking out the threads - moving them around to show 'ikat' dye that occurs concurrently with shibori dyeing.
Sculptural forms
Flat pattern - very delicate

Shibori 11

Hand stitching - half circles
for the preparotory stitching see Shibori 8 in a previous post below
After dyeingStretching out a little - wonderful sculptural form
And a little more

And the reverse side - nothing to say that this ought to be the back!

Sculptural form - this has got to have potential for my worms, caterpillars and nudibranchs Continued....
Flat pattern

Shibori 10

Simple Tie-dye Shibori (eat your hearts out those who want tight classifications)
Silk tied in knots and dyed in acid hot water dye... no need for steaming after that.

Partially unwrapped... maintaining sculptural form... clear definition of colour.. I like this dye

Fabric stretched out further and beginning to show the pattern more clearly

Flat pattern

I like the abstract and relatively unplanned nature of this method (compare with Shibori 10 +)

Shibori 9

Wrapping - Plastic bottle tops

Using soft synthetic net curtain fabric - voile... and steaming in pressure cooker for 30 mins... the shapes are fixed quite strongly.

Shibori 8

Hand Stitching

Shibori 7

Wrapping objects - Screws
The screws and wrapping threads have been removed, Here the head of the screw was away from the tip of the 'tentacles'.

Ironed flat

Shibori 6

Wrapping objects - beads/marbles



The marbles have been removed and the fabric is viewed from what I call the back- but could equally well be the front


When stretched out and ironed

Shibori 5

Hand stitching - 1

Slightly stretched out
Wonderful spirals are produced from the twisting of the fabric by the thread.

Shibori 4

Smocking Machine - one direction
And stretched out in some areas

Shibori 3

Smocking machine two directions at an angle

Slightly stretched out

Formed into a roll or tube

Shibori 2

Smocking machine - two directions at right angles

This shibori forms wonderfully crunchy texture suggestive of the thick scales of a dragon! or if you are less fantastically inclined - a durian.


And can be a free standing rectangular cylinder shape.

Shibori 1

Pole wrap - Arashi



I need to build a library of samples of shibori. Shibori is so versatile it can be used in its pure sculptural form with or without dye. It can be used in its sculptural form if slightly stretched out - with our without colour added and it can be a simple method of tie and dye. So to build a library would involve creating many many samples. Here I am going to use imagery to make use of one sample for many purposes.
This is Arashi shibori or pole wrapped shibori.
Shibori is famous for its natural patters and lines. This will become clear as we go on.
The colour here was Procion and is quite pale - I'd like stronger colours for my purposes.
Acid dyes can also be used for colour and fixing the shape.
When using Procion dyes - steaming is necessary to fix the colour and the shape, if the latter is required.
Shibori is often worked alongside Indigo dyeing and I hope to move to this later (winter in Calgary isn't quite right for working with Indigo and I like the idea of seasonality for dyeing).