Shibori and Indigo
Dyeing

Patchwork Throw approx 1 m x 1 m

Crazy patchwork made from pieces of indigo-dyed cotton. Pattern and texture created using shibori techniques

Tote Bag approx 15" x 10" (excluding handles)

As you may have guessed by these pictures, I love working with indigo and creating fascinating patterns with stitched resist (shibori). No two pieces of work turn out exactly the same. A very simple indigo kit is available from Art Van Go.

Of course, the shibori patterns look equally gorgeous in other colours and I have produced a range for patchwork/quilting and similar projects, so please take a look on the Gallery page. One of my favourite books that I use is Shibori Designs and Techniques by Mandy Southan.

Shibori work can be dyed in different colours to suit any colour scheme. Below are some recent pieces dyed with purple (a mix of turquoise and magenta Procion dyes).

Batik

There are many beautiful Batik fabrics from Indonesia available from online shops. One supplier, in particular, I like to use is Textile Techniques based in Shropshire. They are very friendly and helpful and provide an efficient service.

This is a sample cloth that I produced as part of my City and Guilds course. The design is based on Native American Indian art, which I have drawn much of my inspiration from. There are many books readily available, but one I particularly like is 261 North American Indian Designs by Madeleine Orban-Szontagh. It is published by Dover Publications.

Indigo-dyed Batik

Ive been experimenting with designs in batik and produced these two pieces :-