Tag: Shibori

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Sur la route du Tokaido @ Musée Guimet

Sur la route du Tokaido, Musee Guimet

It seems as I haven’ really come back from Japan… keep looking for indigo everywhere! On a busy day in paris, I managed to stop at the Musee Guimet to catch an exhibition showcasing a flurry of etchings from the famed Tokaido route. The Tokaido is the east and most famous of the Gokaido routes. It started to develop from the Kamakura (1185-1333) period, but reached a peak during the Edo (1603-1868) period. We have heard about it many times during our Japanese workshops as it widely participated to the flourishing indigo economy on that part of the island. Indigo is indeed very present in the etchings, in the landscapes but also on the clothes which are a fascinating sight if you have the slightest interest in indigo reserve techniques! The…

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Itajime shibori

Itajime shibori at Mei Line

Itajime shibori is another reserve technique used to create patterns. This time the fabric is folded and pressed between two pieces of wood. The folds, along with press placement, lead to a variety of patterns. I am always in awe with the magic of those geometric creations when unfolding the fabric, it’s the best time!! The fabric is carefully folded and clamped between two wood presses A number of dips in the indigo vat are necessary to obtain the required depth of colour. Between each dip, the fabric is patiently oxygenated by opening up each fold. It is then rinsed and the process is repeated After unfolding… Bliss! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj4QduRprUc

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Arashi shibori

Arashi shibori at Mei Line

The Arashi pattern is created by tying a piece of cloth very tightly around a cylinder and then crumpling down the fabric to form little creases. It is one of the numerous reserve techniques used in Japan grouped under the shibori term. The tradition was to use a very large bamboo section in Japan, but here, we make do with PVC tube. The fabric is dyed in the indigo vat, several bath separated by oxygenation and rinsing are necessary to achieve the desired tint. After the 3 days long process of rinsing and scouring, the fabric is put to dry. The word Arashi means lightning, but to me the pattern evokes water, with an infinity of ideas for it’s future use around the house and body.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzlLxugcTQ0

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Easter @ la Baye des Anges

Easter at la Baye des Anges

A very peculiar Easter this year, in surreal isolation, but plenty of photo opportunities for Mei Line’s catalog with a glorious weather.. This year, we vowed a zero waste easter: we will eat every single egg the bunny will bring us.. Table cloth and cushion: block printed campeche dyed linen. The indigo shibori-covered basket is the perfect recipient for a lovely egg-crop Happy Easter y’all! Keep safe!

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Aizumi-cho historical museum

Another perl in our awesome trip organised by @leafLuberon around the indigo course at Buaisou Set in the former house of a major indigo merchant, this museum traces the history of indigo production, and use: from seed to fabric. The exquisite miniature scenes are a moving testimony or the hardship  endured by people working in that trade. Indigo seedlings are protected from pest at night with straw panels They are pulled out and transplanted in between wheat rows, wheat protects the young seedlings from the strong sun Wheat is than harvested, leaving only the indigo to thrive Fertilisation  The indigo is harvested and the leaves are cut and separated from the stem The indigo leaves are dried and made into Sukumo, a leaf compost, which is than used…

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Photoshooting @ la Baye des Anges

Mei Line natural dyes, Indigo shibori

La Baye des Anges has been the perfect backdrop for Mei Line’s photoshoot, I even managed to get a group of model’s in for the pool side collection 🙂 Block printed cushions dyed with Campeche extract in summer house And stenciled lavender pouches Indigo Shibori by the fountain Indigo shibori cushions in the living room, perfect match with Alexandre Motte’s paintings Block printed place mats in the patio Oxygenating indigo shiboris under the pergola Arashi shibori in the dining room Cushions showing off in the potager The pool side collection When a piece of linen turns a corner of the deck into a yoga retreat 🙂

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Arimatsu Shibori, from tradition to innovation

Was very lucky to attend a workshop with Kuno Hiroaki organised by Couleur Garance. His enthusiasm about traditional indigo shibori and the way he envisions it’s transposition into a XXIe century sustainable and modern production is very inspiring. We trained in Te-Kumo shibori, and realised the unbelievable amount of work needed to create the patterns by this tying method onto a large (or long) piece of fabric… Kuno brought with him some very ancient textiles, some of them created with forgotten shibori techniques that made then real treasures! Endless inspiration…

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