Hands on shibori with Yoshiko Wada

Yoshiko Wada explains
intricate shibori techniques in Lauris

Shibori is the memory of folds

Yoshiko launched us into her course with this statement...leaving traces on the fabric. During the International Colour Forum in Lauris this October, Yoshiko held two workshops on Shibori for novices like me.

Folding the fabric regularly, irregularly, or sewing up small sections to prevent parts of the fabrci to enter into contact with the dye: a thousand ways to create textile designs with dyes.

We worked on a piece of silk organza. This very fine fabric is actually fairly stiff for its thickness, because of the presence serecin, a protein substance produced by the silkworms.

Firts we folded the fabric and clamped it with different shapes - I chose the O.

It takes lots of hands to clamp
several pieces together!

Two O plexi shapes are clamped tight on my piece

Then we placed the wetted fabrics in a bath of soda ash.

Contact with the soda ash removed 

the serecin and softened the silk

Yoshiko wraps around my piece for arashi shibori on a PVC down pipe!

Then slides up the fabric tightly and gathers
it in a diagonal direction, tyeing the bundle up with string.

I dyed my piece in a bath of madder, rinsed and dried it.

Then I got carried away and didn't take photos of the arashi result!

Next step, I dyed the piece in indigo and here is the result.

The indigo blue turns out stronger on the serecin ladden spots.
Madder arashi shibori designs come out through the blue in purple brown shades.

Enthusiastic encouraging reaction from Yoshiko

After all these years of experience, Yoshiko still enjoys the surprises of shibori and shares her passion for this technique and natural dyes. 

Watch out it is contagious!

To find out more about Yoshiko's activities here

Slow Fiber Studio Shibori shines in France

Shibori piece from Japan

Shibori from the world over

Lauris staged an exhibition of naturally dyed fine pieces  during the International natural color Forum at Le Jardin de Magali, gallery in the provençal village of Lauris. Yoshiko Wada, heads the Slow Fiber Studios, which promotes textiles and natural dyes internationally.

A variety of styles and techniques to show off contemporary artistic work based on age long skills.

Australian textile artist, Silvia Riley

Silvia Riley, textile designer from Sydney showed colourful pieces dyed with eco print techniques using native tree leaves and plants from Australia.

Ecoprint piece by Silvia Riley

From the United States, Catharine Ellis presented impressive handwoven pieces with different types of thread so dyes take in a different ways according to the fiber forming texture and nuances checkered patterns. In addition, she works sections in shibori. Based in the mountains of North Carolina, Catharine explores woven shibori techniques with natural dyes.

Shibori section from a piece from Catharine Ellis

Catharine Ellis woven shibori piece

A very inspiring exhibition.

Un bain de couleur au Forum de Lauris

Three days of natural colour immersion in Lauris 

Michel Garcia demonstrates the use of
Indonesian simplocos leaves as a mordant

Couleur Garance successfully organized an international professional Forum and a two day market week end on October 11 to 13 in Lauris. 

Dominique Cardon shared words of encouragement about this rich and informative conference day. Over one hundred professionals from a dozen countries attended  the Forum. See list of speakers HERE.


The conference morning program focused on natural dyes heritage topics. 

Yoshiko Wada, founder of the slow fiber studio in Berkeley US, talked about the art of Shibori design. 

Unicorn tapestry

Cecilia Aguirre from France explained her efforts to convince institutions to use natural colours in textile conservation. She presented probing examples including restauration work on the famous Unicorn tapestry at Cluny Museum in Paris. 


Founders of Bebali Foundation in Indonesia, William Ingham and Jean presented a truly socially responsible conservation project which involved piercing through the well guarded secrets of traditional mordant recipes. They rediscovered the aluminium rich (dead) leaves of the simplocos, a widely spread native rainforest tree and set up collection and retail outlets, and soon export, bringing economic activity to village women in Flores. Another good argument to preserve rainforest against commercial deforestation threats.

Colorful wool samples dyed with simplocos mordant

Madder dye bath

Afternoon talks included a report on experiments of indigo cultivation in Vaugines, a village near Lauris this summer. They learnt a lot from this first crop of persicaria tinctoria which has produced good quality indigo paste, commercialized by Couleur Garance Association.

Marie Noelle's soft
mauve scarf dyed
with mushrooms 

Every one was captivated by the colours Marie Noelle Vachez Granados obtained from dyeing with mushrooms. Astonishing colours!

Mushrooms are a new area for colours. Marie Marquet is undertaking scientific studies on this, see her samples below.

A novel way to look at mushrooms! 
Look but don't lick....










Congratulations to Martine, Soizik, staff and volunteers from Couleur Garance for this priceless series of events.