Talking about Upstate reminded me that I still had photos of a few of our own shibori projects from this summer lying around on my computer. Having experimented with the Arashi and Kumo techniques, which are both pretty closely akin to traditional tie-dyeing, Dag and I decided to try and tackle the more complicated Itajime, which involves folding the fabric before dyeing and securing it tightly between two boards. Since we were working with vintage shirts and not full pieces of fabric, figuring out how best to pleat and manipulate our folds was kind of a headache--but our bumbling efforts were, amazingly, rewarded. Dag's first attempt, top, was a miraculous triumph.
Anyone looking for a quick, basic Shibori tutorial should look here. Books can be helpful as well. Really though, the best way to learn is to just buy some dye, find some old silk t-shirts at a thrift store, and start mucking around. And I'm definitely happy to offer what little advice that I can, so don't hesitate to ask!
