Shibori is a traditional Japanese method used to dye fabric. Beautiful, elaborate, dark blue and white patterns are created by tying, bunching, folding, stitching, and wrapping fabric to create resists, or spaces where the dye doesn’t soak into the fabric. Shibori is typically created using indigo to dye cotton or silk. Some of the earliest examples found in Japan date back to the Nara period (710–794), but the technique didn’t become popular until about a thousand years later, in the Edo period (1615–1868). During the Edo period, laws restricted the type of cloth and colors that people who were not royalty could wear. Because of this, the use of indigo, and later the shibori dyeing technique, became a popular choice. Shibori was often used to dye kimonos, yukatas, and even handkerchiefs. Today, some methods are similar to Western tie-dye.

Shibori embodies traditional Japanese aesthetics in that the final product can’t be predetermined—you never quite know what you’ll get—and the variations and imperfections are taken as they are, seen as beautiful. There are many different types of shibori patterns. Instructions for three different techniques are below: itajime shibori, kumo shibori, and kanoko shibori. Pick one pattern to start and have fun!

Artwork and instructions below courtesy of Evan Sneed.

Materials

You will need:

• 5 grams Jacquard pre-reduced indigo dye*
• 10 grams sodium hydrosulfite*
• 20 grams soda ash*
• large plastic bucket or tray that is not used for food or beverages deep enough to hold 2–3 gallons of water
• wooden stick or paint stirrer
• at least 2 rubber bands
• rubber gloves
• natural, plain white cotton fabric such as a bandana or fabric square
• optional: at least 2 thin wood squares or popsicle sticks; binder clips; clothespins

*Note: If you’re dyeing large pieces of fabric and have purchased the materials on your own, you will need 1 gallon of warm water for every 5 grams of indigo dye you’re planning to use. For the example below, I used 4 gallons of water for 20 grams of indigo dye powder. The ratio for all of the materials is 1 part (5 grams) Jacquard pre-reduced indigo, 2 parts sodium hydrosulfite, and 4 parts soda ash for every gallon of water.

Part 1: Mix Your Dye

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Part 2: Choose and Prepare Your Pattern

Patterns: Kanoko | Itajime | Kumo

Kanoko

Kanoko shibori is one of the easier styles to make because you only need string or rubber bands to make patterns, and it’s the most similar to Western tie dye.

To make kanoko shibori, fold the fabric in half or into a large triangle, then fold and bunch it up using rubber bands to secure it in different spots. Experiment with placement and how loose or tight you choose to make the rubber bands. Tighter bands will do a better job of resisting the dye and making the fabric stay white where they’re placed.

Itajime

Itajime shibori is made using accordion folds to make squares or triangles, wooden blocks to create a resist, and rubber bands.

To make itajime shibori, create an accordion fold with your fabric: first, place your fabric flat on the table. Fold the bottom quarter of the fabric up, then flip the fabric over and repeat by folding the next quarter of the fabric up. Continue until you have a long rectangle with four or more layers of folded fabric. To make a square pattern, fold the long rectangle into squares, over and under, repeating until you end up with one square that has many layers. To make a triangle pattern, fold the top right corner of the long rectangle down to form a triangle. Flip the fabric over to create another triangle, repeating until you end up with one triangle with many layers. Secure your stack of folds with rubber bands, binder clips, or clothespins. To create more of a resist—a pattern with clearly defined dark blue square or triangle lines with a white center—add wood blocks to the top and bottom of your layered folds, like a sandwich, and secure it with rubber bands.

Kumo

Kumo shibori ends up looking like a spider web or a circular or ring pattern. It is made by using rubber bands to create finger-shaped bumps all over the fabric before dyeing.

To make kumo shibori, place your fabric flat on your work surface, then pull up a small amount of fabric, bunch it together to make a bump, and then use a rubber band to hold it in place. To make the process easier you can place a small object such as a rock, coin, or plastic bead under the fabric, push it up, pull the cloth around it, and secure it with a rubber band. Continue making these bumps until you have as many or as few as you’d like. To add more resist dyeing and experiment with the pattern, add more rubber bands to different areas on the protruding bumps.

Part 3: Dye

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

About the Artist

Evan Sneed is a historian and museum professional with a master’s of history and museum studies from Tufts University. A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, he made the move from Cherokee, North Carolina, to New England in 2017. Evan currently lives in Boston and has been working in museums around the city for the last six years. Outside work he enjoys rooting for his favorite soccer team and studying Japanese history. He is excited to engage with a diverse audience at the MFA while focusing on two of his passions: history and education.