Shibori Technique: Itajima with Terri Fletcher

Silk scarf tied in the Itajima fashion for dying
and scarf dyed in that fashion

Shibori is a Japanese process of "tie dying" silk, a process I use on my silk scarves. Itajima is a particular type of shibori, where a solid shape such as a circle of wood is pressed onto the cloth to keep the dye from penetrating in certain places. Terry Fletcher uses a cirle or square of smoothed plexiglass, held in place by two pieces of wood tied together tightly, to make an undyed circle or square.

The scarf in this photo has been dyed the lighter orange, then  folded and tied in the manner shown, with a plexiglass circle. The bundle is then dipped into the darker dye, leaving the lighter circles.

8 of 80 Souls

Sometimes Terri cuts shapes from foam core (used in framing paintings) to make the shapes that block the dye. In the piece at the right, 8 of the 80 souls, she discharged the black dye, potecting the areas to remain black by covering tightly with foam pieces cut in the frame like shape.

Snags

Sometimes Terri adds beads, buttons, or sewing, or  dyes on paper instead of cloth. Lately she has started adding a layer of encaustic to some of her work, to add a sense of translucence and depth.

What intrigues her? The rythm of shapes repeated,  she says, and the technical aspects of the work.

Miniature Wood Chair by Karen Hurst

Terri Fletcher's Studio will be on the Vashon Art Studio Tour the first two weekends of December 2010. Karen Hurst, who spins and does wood working will be joing Terri, along with Nadine Edelstein, who does smalti tile and jewelry.