A Japanese resist-dye technique, in which design is created by preventing specific areas of the cloth taking the dye.
Shibori is distinct from other methods in that it creates a raised and wrinkled surface texture. It can be worked by hand or machine, and traditionally makes use of natural dyes such as indigo and red madder.
There are a plethora of variations on shibori, each technique and motif chosen to suit the fabric; they fall into three main categories that have spawned many distinctive designs:
a) stitched and bound – hitta: a deer spot motif, and miura: a looped binding technique creating a watery motif
b) stitched and gathered – Hiranui: or this using satin stitch in a clockwise direction, Orinui: or this in which a running stitch is applied along a creased fold and tightly gathered to resist the dye, mokume: close parallel running stitches are applied along the width to evoke a wood grain motif.
c) applied processes or materials – oke: motifs are created with running stitches and by partially immersing the cloth in a sealed bucket; arashi: in which fabric is wrapped around a pole and squeezed, creating a storm-like motif across the surface of the fabric; itajime, in which fabric is clamped between wooden boards carved with patterns and then dyed.
Modern shibori techniques include the award winning Aru shinbori, designed by Arumugham.