Pre-symposium

Arimatsu 1-Day Workshops

Stitch Resist Alternatives: Sewing Machine and Smocking Pleater
Ana Lisa HEDSTROM

Renowned shibori artist Ana Lisa Hedstrom will demonstrate how to use machines such as the smocking pleater as an extension of your hand and expression for stitch or pleat resist. Learn how sewing machine stitches can act as a clamp to resist areas on folded cloth and apply assorted machine-aided techniques on an array of fabrics to explore a new dimension of possibilities for design and artistry. Ana Lisa will share inspiring examples of her own work in class. Students will make a furoshiki, a set of samples, and participate in a group project.

Explorations of Indigo
Michel GARCIA

An enduring color throughout human history, indigo blue crosses cultures, from the British Isles to the Sahara. Natural dye expert Michel Garcia will unlock the mysteries of indigo by demonstrating different reduction vat methods, including fructose, henna, and ferrous vats, combined with pigment from plants such as Indigofera tinctoria, Persicaria tinctoria, and Strobilanthes cusia. Michel will explore applications using fresh or dry leaf indigo, and will address ethnic traditions including the "pre-Columbian nanotechnology" Maya Blue pigment.

Hira-ori: Shadowfolds for Shibori Techniques
Chris K. PALMER

Artist Chris K. Palmer will introduce his Shadowfolds technique in this folding and dyeing workshop. Chris creates complex patterns from a single piece of cloth using a surprisingly simple three-step process, in which intricate, precise folds produce novel polygonal regions of shadow, texture, and pattern. Using simple twist folds aided by stitching and layered with arashi-shibori dyeing, students will explore the twisting grain of infinite pleats to generate mesmerizing geometric patterns of rotated stripes. 

Nui Shibori for Artistic Exploration
Jane CALLENDER

Nui shibori master Jane Callender will present the simple geometry and pattern planning method she uses to explore the many textures and pattern variables possible with stitch-resist. This workshop will focus on the use of buffers and blocking materials, as well as how multiple needles can be used to implement differences to established sharply defined lines and field, to create new motifs, and to develop pattern and texture. Jane will show and discuss various shibori methods for personal creative explorations.

Revealing Layers with Indigo Discharge
Joy BOUTRUP

Join textile chemist Joy Boutrup for in-depth experimentation with discharge on indigo. Learn how to remove indigo from a dyed piece of fabric to reveal layers of pattern and color, using a safe discharge method with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and a cold immersion process. Joy will explain the mechanics of making and breaking indigo bonds, and why the process is best suited for cellulosic fibers such as cotton or linen. Students will leave with discharged indigo samples in a three-color palette.

Natural Dyes for Cross-Dyeing
Catharine ELLIS

Artist Catharine Ellis will show how to achieve unique color effects on fabric by cross-dyeing with natural dyes. In cross-dyeing, dyers start with fabrics constructed from a combination of protein and cellulose fibers, such as wool/cotton or silk/linen, and utilize dyes which react differently with each fiber. Learn how to combine fibers and dyes to achieve complex and surprising patterning. Catharine will use cellulose-loving indigo in combination with with dyes including cochineal, rhubarb, and madder to create a full palette of color.

Pleats on Wool and Mixed Fibers
Eva LAGNERT

Learn to fix pleats on a variety of fabrics in this workshop with a creative and experimental focus on handcraft employing tools such as thread, wood blocks, and cylinders. Using fabrics including wool and mixed fibers with polyamide and polyester, participants will learn to permanently fix the pleats using steam and hot dye baths. Dyes will include acid dyes for wool, silk, and polyamide, and natural Swedish dyes for wool, silk, and cellulose fibers. Eva will share her own pleat samples and guide participants towards starting their own collections of pleated ideas. A folder of the recipes and instructions for materials and techniques covered in the workshop will be provided to all participants.

NAGOYA

Arimatsu 1/2-Day Workshops

Stitch Resist Alternatives: Sewing Machine and Smocking Pleater
Ana Lisa HEDSTROM

Renowned shibori artist Ana Lisa Hedstrom will demonstrate how to use machines such as the smocking pleater as an extension of your hand and expression for stitch or pleat resist. Learn how sewing machine stitches can act as a clamp to resist areas on folded cloth and apply assorted machine-aided techniques on an array of fabrics to explore a new dimension of possibilities for design and artistry. Ana Lisa will share inspiring examples of her own work in class. Students will make a furoshiki, a set of samples, and participate in a group project.

Explorations of Indigo
Michel GARCIA

An enduring color throughout human history, indigo blue crosses cultures, from the British Isles to the Sahara. Natural dye expert Michel Garcia will unlock the mysteries of indigo by demonstrating different reduction vat methods, including fructose, henna, and ferrous vats, combined with pigment from plants such as Indigofera tinctoria, Persicaria tinctoria, and Strobilanthes cusia. Michel will explore applications using fresh or dry leaf indigo, and will address ethnic traditions including the "pre-Columbian nanotechnology" Maya Blue pigment.

One-Bath Dyeing: Safflower, Lac, and Annatto
Michel GARCIA

For the first time in Japan, natural dye expert Michel Garcia will demonstrate how natural dyes belonging to the naphthoquinone and anthraquinone groups can be processed without mordants or other conventional methods. He will share little-known applications of tannins and acid baths to obtain colorfast and surprising hues from dyes including Japanese beni-bana safflower petals, sticklac from the lac insect, and insoluble annatto seed powder.

Shibori Heatset on Polyester
Tsuyoshi KUNO

Work with shibori artisan Tsuyoshi Kuno at his studio, Kuno Dyeworks, where he produces innovative textiles for top Japanese fashion designers including Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. Kuno creates challenging new expressions of shibori while maintaining the traditional techniques of Arimatsu. His work has also expanded beyond fashion to include genres such as interior design and sculpture. Learn Kuno’s techniques for shibori heatset on polyester, and apply them to create a highly textured and animated polyester shawl to take home.

Kaki-shibu (Persimmon Tannin) Shibori Dyeing
Kaiichiro OKAMOTO

Kaiichiro Okamoto extensively researches and refines the manufacturing process of traditional Japanese kaki-shibu (persimmon tannin). Made from the fermented juice of unripe astringent persimmons, kaki-shibu yields a beautiful earthy color range. Use it as a dip dye on a scarf woven with cotton warp and paper weft, then learn how to apply it as a paste on washi (Japanese handmade paper) to create a laquerlike finish. Participants will take home their hand-dyed scarf and a sample of treated washi.

Akane for Japanese Red
Kazuki YAMAZAKI

Join preeminent Japanese natural dye expert Dr. Kazuki Yamazaki for a workshop on akane (Rubia akane), a source of the quintessential Japanese red. Dr. Yamazaki grows these classical dye plants at his Kusaki-kubo studio outside of Tōkyō. Learn how to use the roots of the akane plant to obtain the clearest and deepest red hues as Dr. Yamazaki demonstrates his techniques. Participants will take home an organic cotton scarf, patterned with simple shibori techniques and dyed with akane red.

Japanese Shibori and Sukumo Indigo Dyeing
Hiroko ANDO

Hiroko Ando has been researching and practicing shibori all across Japan, from Oita Prefecture on the southern island of Kyūshū, to Arimatsu-Narumi, to regional shibori centers in the north. Ando will teach some hard-to-master shibori patterns such as te-suji (hand pleating), yanagi (willow), and hotaru (fireflies). After practicing techniques on a cotton scarf, participants will dye them in a sukumo (traditional Japanese indigo) vat.

Bōshi (Capped) Shibori
Kyo Kanoko Shibori Artisan

Join an artisan from Kyōtō’s Kyo Kanoko Shibori guild for a workshop on bōshi (capped) shibori. Learn their techniques for stitching an outline, inserting a core, drawing the thread and covering the gathered cloth with a special plastic sheet to achieve a completely resisted area with a soft edge. This process was historically used to create tsujigahana, delicate pictorial designs combining shibori and hand painting. Participants will take home their own silk scarf patterned as well as a professionally-bound tenugui (thin cotton towel) patterned with bōshi shibori.

Felted Accessories Marked by Shibori
Jorie JOHNSON

Learn to create unique and warming felt jewelry with Kyōtō-based felt artist Jorie Johnson. Working from a flat resist, participants will develop multi-colored 3D hollow felt log beads and perfect a strong yet fine felt cord to be further enhanced by shibori dyeing with acid color. Students will take home a vibrantly colored felt log bead necklace patterned with shibori.

Hinode Tatsumaki (Sunrise and Tornado) Shibori
Katsuyuki MATSUOKA & Kiyoko MATSUOKA

This husband and wife artisan team will teach techniques for te-suji (hand pleating) shibori and its variations such as yoroi-dan (armor bands), hinode (sunrise) and tatsumaki (tornado). This unique process involves hand pleating a long and narrow length of cloth and then manipulating resisted areas with a secondary process over a rope core. Participants will take home a cotton scarf patterned with the variation of their choice in addition to a professionally bound kumo-ire yanagi (weeping willow) shibori tenugui (thin cotton towel).

Bengara (Red Ochre) Dyeing
Yutaka OBUCHI

In Japan, bengara (red ochre) pigment has historically been used for a variety of purposes including as a wood stain in traditional architecture and in the painting and dyeing of paper and fabric. Yutaka Obuchi and his group Ancient Beauty have dedicated themselves to replicating bengara colors on fabric. Learn Ancient Beauty’s processes and discover the wide variety  of colors achievable with bengara pigment. Participants will take home a cotton scarf patterned with shibori and dyed with bengara.

Kikai-gumo (Machine Spiderweb) Shibori
Hiroaki KUNO

The eldest son of Tsuyoshi Kuno, Hiroaki Kuno continues his family tradition by creating new expressions of shibori combining traditional and high-tech processes. This innovation enables Kuno Dyeworks to be at the forefront of contemporary shibori production and expand into genres of fashion, sculpture, and interior design. Participants will learn about his kikai-gumo (machine spiderweb) machine which mimics te-kumo (hand-spider) patterns, and use it to pattern a silk scarf to take home.

Itajime (Clamped Board) Shibori
Masatsugu HAMAJIMA

As a shibori artisan and producer in Arimatsu, Masatsugu Hamajima has experience with a wide variety of shibori techniques and new designs. Hamajima has survived as a producer through the years by always coming up with something new using traditional techniques. Participants will learn traditional itajime (clamped board) shibori with a twist, and will take home a silk scarf with their own itajime patterns.

Yatara Miura (Random Looped Binding) Shibori
Sumie FUJIWARA

Yatara miura (random looped binding) is one of the earliest shibori techniques produced in the Arimatsu region and also an example of popular or commoners’ shibori. A foundational technique with many more complex variations, yatara miura is characterized by random patterning of looped bindings on cotton or hemp using a metal hook. Participants will take home a cotton scarf patterned with their own yatara miura as well as a professionally-bound sample of hitta miura (bias grid looped binding).

YONEZAWA & YAMAGATA

Yonezawa 1/2-Day Workshops

Harakata Sashiko
Kiyoko ENDO

A form of Japanese folk embroidery based on the basic running stitch, sashiko originated in Japan's northeastern Tōhoku region as a practical method to add warmth and durability to cloth.  Harakata sashiko is a style distinct in both design and practice as a tradition nurtured by women of the lower-ranking samurai class during times of economic hardship while the shogunate government decayed. Learn designs from a sashiko master in the former castle town of Yonezawa, and take home a sampler of your own hand-stitched Harakata sashiko.

Natural Dyeing
Kōichi YAMAGISHI and family

The Yamagishi family of natural dyers, silk spinners, and weavers invites you to their family studio and farm to observe and learn traditional Japanese natural dyeing. Join master dyer Kōichi Yamagishi and his wife, son, and daughter for a workshop dyeing silk cloth with their selection of natural dyes and mordants. Tour the garden where the Yamagishis grow Japanese dye plants and rinse your dyed cloth in the neighboring creek for a clear and unique finish. Participants will take home a silk scarf colored with their choice of natural dye.

Silk Spinning
Kōichi YAMAGISHI and family

The Yamagishi family of natural dyers, silk spinners, and weavers invites you to their family studio and farm to observe and learn the enduring art of traditional tsumugi (handspun or reeled silk, handwoven) silk cloth production. Dyer and weaver Kōichi Yamagishi and his wife, son, and daughter will introduce you to their grove of kunugi trees serving as a habitat for wild silk moths, and their mulberry fields feeding domesticated silkworms (Bombyx mori). The hand reeling of fresh Japanese cocoons is rare to find as most silk is now made of imported cocoons. The Yamagishis will teach how to turn cocoons into mawata (waddings) and how to spin mawata into silk thread. Participants will take home their own silk mawata to continue spinning at home.

Bast Fiber Making
Sachio YAMAMURA

Before cotton farming became firmly established in Japan around the 17th century, most common folk wore clothing made out of bast fibers. Bast is comprised of fibers from the inner skin of trees and plants and can be made into a continuous yarn to weave cloth and make nets. Obtained from various plants including hemp, ramie, mulberry, nettle, wisteria, and linden, processing the fiber is laborious as each plant yields a limited length of bast which must be knotted by hand (a process called u-mu) to use for weaving. Participants will learn how to process and knot bast into a skein of yarn to take home.

Paper Yarn Making and Shifu Weaving
Masanao TAMAMUSHI

Masanao Tamamushi has been collecting old accounting and other record keeping books for years to supply his stockpile of materials used to create durable, light, and warm shifu cloth. By recycling these inked papers into paper yarns and weaving them into bolts of cloth, Tamamushi’s shifu contains subtle patterning almost like ikat. Participants will observe and learn the process of making yarn from paper and take home some sample yarns; you will also have a chance to purchase shifu products from the Tamamushi studio.

Yamagata Safflower Harvest

Safflower Harvest and Beni-Mochi Making
Kazuki YAMAZAKI & Tetsuo YANAGIDA

Join Dr. Kazuki Yamazaki and his colleagues and students at Tohoku University of Art and Design for an early morning harvest in Yamagata's famed safflower fields. Grown as part of TUAD's unique field-to-fiber program, this precious dyestuff produces vibrant shades of yellow, pink, and the coveted beni red. Learn the history and applications of Japanese safflower, and process the harvest into beni-mochi dye patties for the university’s program. Participants will also receive three beni-mochi to take home.

Yamagata Mini Workshops

Tsugaru Kogin
Hisako KAMATA

In the northernmost prefecture of Honshū, the people of Tsugaru historically survived long, cold winters with limited resources. Their kogin embroidery was born out of necessity, to create toughened insulated material by stitching warm but expensive cotton yarn, and sometimes cotton rags, into readily available bast fiber cloth. Tsugaru embroidery is based on counting threads over the weave of the base cloth to create patterns varying across three regions: higashi (east), nishi (west), and mishima. Learn to stitch in the Tsugaru style and take home a coaster patterned with your chosen design.

Hemp cloth, thread, and needles will be provided. Students should bring small scissors or thread snips and reading glasses.

Yusa Sashiko
Reiko DOMON

Without the aid of draft animals, northern Japanese lumberjacks hauled heavy sleighs by slinging padded straps over their shoulders. Women used Yusa sashiko to stitch these reinforced straps for their fathers, husbands, and sons, with patterns symbolizing health, safety, prosperity, and wishes for good harvest. At Mount Chōkai where there was an opening ceremony for going into the mountains to work every February, workers would wear their most beautifully stitched straps to celebrate the occasion. One of many variations of sashiko, Yusa sashiko is made without any pre-marked design, instead relying on reading the natural grid of the cloth. Practice this technique to create a sashiko embroidered pincushion on a maple wood base.

Cloth, thread, needles, and pincushion kit will be provided. Students should bring small scissors or thread snips and reading glasses.