Fabrications
Issue 60
Mandy takes the beautiful art of shibori but makes it go well beyond the traditional blue and white to create fabrics in a fabulous array of colours, patterns and textures. Clear step-by-step photographs and instructions will leave you wanting to have a go! If you fancy something a little different then this could be the book for you.
Quilting Arts
April/May 09
Shibori has always intrigued me and never more so than when I paged through this book. I knew some of the basics of tie-dyeing and I was always pleased with my results, but Southan has opened my eyes to a whole new world of colour and design. Most of the designs in this book are based on traditional Japanese methods, but she has included her personal adaptations for creating exciting, contemporary textiles. Before getting into the tying, Southan presents a complete introduction to the materials and the process. She discusses the various dyes and the equipment and tools you will need. She uses lots of photos and provides clear and concise explanations. After laying the groundwork, she presents step-by-step projects and a number of variations to show readers how to make the experience and the results their own. Her process shots are wonderfully illustrative and her fabrics are amazingly colorful and unique. If you were smitten with tie-dyeing in the '70s, you need to take a look at this contemporary twist.
SEWING WORLD
Feb 09
Create unique and beautiful fabrics using the ancient Japanese resist dyeing method of shibori. Author Mandy Southan shows a variety of ways in which stitching, gathering, pleating and folding fabric prior to dyeing it can be used to create a wide variety of colours, patterns and textures. Starting with the basics of materials and equipment she demonstrates how simple household items can be used for binding and securing fabric to create amazing tie-dye effects and textures surfaces. There is a particularly good section on the various types of dyes available and a step-by-step photo guide showing exactly how to use them, plus achieve special effects such as space dyeing. The remainder of the book focuses on traditional Japanese folding, wrapping, clamping and stitching techniques with detailed instructions and beautiful examples of finished pieces to illustrate the created patterns. This is a great book for those who love bold and exotic fabrics and is good value at just £9.99.
GUILD OF SILK PAINTERS
Autumn 08
Another stunning book from Search Press! A short introduction is followed by chapters on materials, then dyeing, discharge and colour. This is all shown in a step-by-step format, as is the whole book, with text and photographs, which is very easy to understand, and is suitable for beginners and the more experienced.
The book then goes on to describe the many and varied forms of Shibori, which produce wonderful results, as illustrated. These include binding, hand-painting and capping, stitching and capping, stitching and gathering, folding and clamping, pole winding and pole wrapping.
I really enjoyed reading with this beautiful, colourful and informative book and would thoroughly recommend it.
Vera Dreyfuss
