Shibori Stitch

This is a half-day workshop to introduce you to the art of Japanese Stitched Shibori.

Shibori describes ways of manipulating fabric to create folds which will be resistant to the colour when dyed.  There are many ways to manipulate fabric - folding, wrapping, tying, clamping, scrunching and stitching.

In this workshop you will learn the various stitch Shibori techniques which you can use to create your own rich and intricate designs onto squares of fabric.  These can later be dyed and made into cushion covers or used in your other craft projects.

We will not be dyeing the fabric in this workshop but the process to do this easily at home will be explained.

Workshop includes:

All materials, fabric, threads, etc.

Bring your own sewing kit with needles/scissors if you have them. This is not essential - can be provided. 

Your tutor:  Fran Reilly

Has spent time in foothills of Mount Fuji in Japan learning Shibori techniques. Fran is the perfect tutor for this workshop. 

Fran is a contemporary textile artist based in Cheltenham.She recycles vintage fabrics into unique one-off pieces of art using free motion machine embroidery and appliqué.   She also loves to dye fabrics with natural plant dyes to give the backgrounds to my work a vibrant and individual quality.

Fran finds the process of seeking out old fabrics and turning them into something new and exciting very satisfying and therapeutic.  There is a real sense of magic and mystery in old fabrics – who made them, where have they been, where has life’s journey taken them – and to be able to breathe new life into them once again by creating pieces of artwork is a joy and a privilege.

Her inspiration comes from the environment all around us.  Growing natural dye plants in her garden and using these to colour many of the fabrics in her work.  She is also a lover of Indigo and use Shibori Stitch to create uniquely patterned scarves, cushions and other gift items.  She teaches workshops in Indigo dyeing and Shibori Stitch, Natural Dyes and Memory Collage.

The Workshop will be held in the workshop space at Ember Studios which is a couple of doors down from The Fold on George St, Stroud. Please feel free to pop into The Fold to say hi!