Discover the joy of Shibori prints and patterns décor – Give your home a classy vibe with simple Shibori print decor items
Are you looking to upgrade your home décor with a pop of fresh vibe – try Shibori art prints and patterns. Coming from traditional Japan’s craft culture, Shibori is a celebrated art form. The age-old tie-and-dye techniques merged with contemporary twists, Shibori textiles and upholstery, are a big rage today. The part we like most is its whimsical appeal and aesthetics. Moreover, the fabrics of Shibori are not limited to clothes but extend to furniture, ceramics and home decor. Let’s see how designers reinvent the Shibori prints and patterns to suit our modern lifestyles.
Shibori art for you
The ancient Japanese fabric tie-and-dye technique, Shibori, is known for its pictographic or geometric patterned fabric. Shiboru, a Japanese verb, means to press, squeeze or wring. Traditionally Shibori is the art of colour fabrics using natural indigo dye over white cotton fabric. You may mistake Shibori for being a simple textile art, but it is more. Shibori is an intricate process with specific age-old techniques requiring considerable knowledge, practice, and expertise. Handmade Each handmade Shibori fabric is an exquisite item with organic origins and a unique elegance.
Explore the story of Shibori
Japanese Shibori and Indian bandhani are fabric tie-and-dye techniques with similarities and subtle differences.
a. Shibori uses the stitching and pulling technique of resisting to create patterns, while bandhani uses wax coated thread to tie sections where dye can’t penetrate
b. Shibori uses nature-based patterns and motives like birds and flowers, whereas bandhani uses more geometric clusters.
c. The colour palette for both techniques is different. Shibori prints and patternsuse subtle shades, traditionally indigo and white. While bandhani uses a bright and rich colour palette like red, green, blue, black
Story of Shibori
Known as the oldest indigo dye technique in Japan, the Shibori tie-dye technique dates back to the 8th-century when Emperor Shomu had donated a piece of shibori fabric to the Todai-Ji Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. The art form gained immense popularity during the 17th- 19thth centuries. Being reserved for the royals and wealthy households only, it gained a similar prestige as silk.
Japan’s Shibori is present across the south Asian region as a charming and elegant art form. For instance, Rabindranath Tagore introduced the technique in India during the early 20th century. Today, several craft clusters practice a locally evolved form of Shibori prints and patterns in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
Shibori art for your home décor
Shibori art is one of the trending styles in home decor. It expresses sophistication and boosts a refreshing chic vibe. Designers apply the rich Shibori textiles to create home decor items like table covers, table mats and runners, bed sheets, duvet covers, pillows, cushion covers, and tea towels. Shibori prints and patterns are fantastic for furniture upholstery, rugs, lampshades, and curtains. Today many artists are experimenting with shibori prints on ceramics and serve-ware. Also, Shibori prints on fabric or digital art can be framed and put into creating accent walls or wall art.
Shibori fabrics come with a bold presence; thereby, it is a perfect decor solution to uplift a neutral looking space. Imagine a single colour tone interiors with vibrant Shibori furniture or cushion accents. It is ideal for creating contrast with a plain background or highlighting a particular section of your home. Traditionally, the art chooses the shades of indigo and white. Nowadays, there are limitless options with beautiful patterns created in many vibrant colours and various fabrics.
Types of Shibori art
Over the years, Shibori has transitioned into many forms and styles. Yet, the original Shibori technique thrives in Japan with advanced and intricate practices. A piece made with traditional Shibori techniques can take months to create. First, the fabric is tightly tied during the dyeing process, preventing the dye from penetrating the secured sections of the material. The result is a distinctive blue and white-patterned fabric associated with Shibori.
There are many types of shibori techniques that make endless design possibilities a reality. To truly understand the various styles, you need a trained eye and passion for the art form. Presently, six popular Shibori techniques dominate the mainstream practices. Each method uses different tools to create patterns and to accomplish a distinctive appeal in the finished fabric. The six technique types of Shibori tie-dye are,
Arashi
The Arashi shibori is the pole-wrapping tie-dye technique that creates a diagonal or wavy line pattern. The artist can choose to create a fluid rainy flowy design or lean toward creating a fabric art with delicate detailing. This style uses a pipe as a base to create patterns. First, the fabric is wrapped around a pipe and bound with strong thread or yarn. Next, before dyeing, the material is bunched up along the pole to create beautiful patterns. Also, Arashi Shibori prints are known for textured wrinkles in the fabric, which adds a unique character to the art.
Itajime
The famous Itajime Shibori is the most classic technique, and many people associate the distinct repeating geometric pattern of Itajime with Shibori. The method uses wooden blocks pressed between fabric and tied with string. Also known as the shape-resist technique, geometric patterns of any shape can be folded and clamped together to create a bold repetitive design.
Kanoko
The Kanoko Shibori is the simplest and most popular shibori technique practised in many cultures. Also known as the bound-resist technique or pattern of mottled white spots, it is similar to the bandhani style, popular in western parts of India. The technique gathers tiny pinches of fabric tightly tied with string or rubber bands at the base. This technique creates small or big circle patterns. The simple hand movements can create beautiful Shibori prints as the style is flexible and has endless scope for creativity.
Nui
The Nui Shibori is a stitch-resist technique where patterns are created on fabric using stitches. With a plain running stitch, patterns are sewed and then pulled tight to create gathers. Everything is then secured with a knot and immersed in dye. Nui shibori prints also have infinite design possibilities, as an artisan can sew any pattern to create a beautiful shibori art.
Miura
A Miura Shibori, or the loop-binding technique, slightly differs from other shibori techniques. Fabric sections are pulled using a hooked needle and then wrapped and bound with a string. The end pattern resembles water ripples, and the design depends on the tightness of the ties.
Kumo
The Kumo shibori is a dyeing technique which involves pleating and twisting of string or rubber band to create a distinctive spiderweb or concentric circles like pattern. Similar to Kanoko Shibori, a tiny pinch of fabric is tied with a rubber band or string, followed by more ties along the length of the material. Imagine putting multiple rubber bands at some distance from the base to the tip of your ponytail. It is also known as the spider web technique or the pleat and bind. Often, the fabric is wrapped around small objects like pebbles to keep bands in place and maintain the desired distance between them.
The Japanese art form is embracing the contemporary aesthetics of fabrics with prints and patterns. Bold pictographic or geometric patterns of Shibori prints and patterns effortlessly uplift any home interiors. Interestingly, to the viewer, the fabrics stir a sense of surprise with their wavy, sometimes fluid character. Trust us here; try Shibori prints and patterns to add a layer of visual intrigue to your home. Whether you like significant designs or more intricate ones, the many styles from trending Japanese art will spoil you with choices. And once you add a little bit of Shibori to your home, it will always be a pleasure to the eye while being a conversation starter. So, now the real question is, are you ready to include Shibori in your décor style?
