Let’s Talk About Dip Dyeing
/At IS Projects, our mission is to invigorate current and future generations with a love of paper, ink and craft. One of the most direct ways that we’re able to feel this impact in our own community is through our workshops. The techniques we offer are vast, but ultimately, all driven by this same mission. Sometimes this means featuring methods of practice that are “print-adjacent”. One great example of this is our dip dyeing workshop, which we’ve expanded since “going virtual” to include new applications for both cloth and paper.
Dip Dyeing is an umbrella term used for a variety of dyeing methods, but in our workshops we choose to focus on two types, Shibori dyeing for fabrics and Orizomegami dyeing for paper. Both can be used in combination with many printmaking and book arts practices.
What is Shibori?
Shibori is an ancient Japanese natural dye technique which uses binding, stitching, folding, twisting and compressing cloth to create beautiful indigo blue patterns. Shibori is best done on natural fabrics such as silk, hemp or cotton. We started teaching shibori dyeing workshops at the studio in Spring of 2018 and it’s become one of our most beloved workshops! Shibori is one of the only techniques we teach which can quickly yield very large-scale results.
According to Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing, “There are many ways to create Shibori, with techniques generally grouped into three categories: kōkechi, tied or bound resists; rōkechi, wax resists; and kyōkechi, resists where the fabric is folded and clamped between two carved wooden blocks.” In our workshops, we focus on kōkechi (tying & binding) and kyōkechi (folded & clamped), respectively. Typically, in a given workshop we cover a few variations of the following patterns:
When translating this workshop into a virtual format, it was important to consider attendees’ potential space constraints and modify the process so that it could easily be explored indoors and with smaller sample fabrics. So, we streamlined the materials and set-up while covering the same patterns and techniques. Instead of making a large indigo dye bath, we scaled down to a smaller tupperware bath which can be re-used and opted for a more readily accessible fabric dye. What’s most integral to the traditional pattern-making; binding, stitching, folding and compressing is all still covered on a more manageable scale.
What is Orizomegami?
Orizomegami is an ancient Japanese paper craft that combines “origami’ paper folding and colored pigment dip-dyeing. Similar in concept to Shibori dyeing, Orizomegami creates fun and vibrant patterns on paper through careful and strategic folding techniques but utilizes multiple colors. The advantage of using multiple colors is apparent when considering the endless kaleidoscope of possibilities in color combinations for each pattern explored.
Through our virtual Orizomegami workshop, participants create their own beautifully patterned decorative papers using simple, household supplies. Traditionally, this technique is best done on fine Japanese papers such as Mulberry, however, the techniques can be practiced on household paper products like paper towel sheets or paper napkins while mastering the basics.
In the virtual workshop, pictured above, we use small cups with mixed dyes for dipping into. This allows for more precision and control when working with small, folded papers. In lieu of expensive or specialty dyes, we opt for food coloring in our virtual class to keep materials cost effective and easily accessible during the pandemic.
The results shown expose the variations in paper choice as finer quality papers (pictured left) tend to hold the best contrast and focus, while the paper towels (pictured top) allow for easier absorption, but therefore more coverage and bleeding.
The results make for fantastic collage material, gift wrap or backdrops for more imagery.
What can a printmaker or book artist do with Shibori and Orizomegami?
Printmakers and Book Artists can use hand dyed paper and fabric to add another layer of interest into any project. These creations can be screen printed or block printed on, used to cover books, included in a book as decorative paper, collaged on, drawn on top of, sewn into bags, stretched over a frame, and anything else you can think of to do with fabric or cloth.
