East Meets West: The Traditional Craft Behind 3×1’s Cool Spring Separates Inline
Photo: Courtesy of 3x11/9“Probably the most important step in shibori technique: folding the fabric and clamping it down so that the indigo will reach the intended sections of fabric. The method of folding will dictate how much indigo reaches the center of your material, as well as how saturated it will become and what the pattern will ultimately look like.”
Photo: Courtesy of 3x12/9“The folded fabric, ready for dye, with rubber spacers pressed firmly in between layers to minimize indigo saturation. The spacers, combined with the constant pressure maintained by the clamps, are critical to achieving the intended pattern design.”
Photo: Courtesy of 3x13/9“The presoak. By presoaking the fabric, the indigo will ‘travel’ in a more consistent—in this case, desired—manner throughout the fabric.”
Photo: Courtesy of 3x14/9“The indigo bath. The indigo used for shibori is a plant-based, natural indigo. Although most indigo used today is synthetic, the traditions of shibori dyeing maintain the time-honored technique and therefore the use of pure indigo.”
Photo: Courtesy of 3x15/9“Removal from the indigo bath after a proper soak. Soak times vary depending on the intended level of saturation. Ours was relatively brief, as we wanted to keep our blankets ‘bright and white’ for Spring.”
