Erda Keppler

This review was written by Cheri Byrnes for the Reno Fiber Guild.

The book is thorough—she provides all the information needed to plan, weave, dye, and finish a piece of woven shibori. The many color photographs in the book enhance her descriptions and showcase the beautiful results that can be obtained with various threading and treadling sequences and with different dyes. The following is an excerpt from the website goodreads:

Rediscover Woven Shibori In this update of the classic "Woven Shibori," master weaver Catharine Ellis teaches weavers of all skill levels how to create beautiful dyed woven cloth, using environmentally friendly natural dyes. Shibori is a traditional Japanese technique, in which a piece of cloth is shaped by folding, stitching, tying, or wrapping then dyed to create stunning color patterns. Ellis developed a method of weaving resist warp and weft threads directly into the cloth and shared her findings in her breakthrough book. Featuring all-new information on working with natural dyes and dozens of new photographs, this revised edition is an invaluable resource for weavers. It features: Techniques for incorporating shibori into two-shaft weaves, monk's belt, overshot, twills,laces, and other patterns Guidance and inspiration for creating your own woven shibori designs Instructions for preparing the fabric for dyeing and finishing the dyed cloth Recipes for creating natural dyes from plants and insects to dye both plant and animal fibers Special effects for enhancing woven shibori,including layering colors, cross dyeing, felting, creating permanent pleats, and burning out"Woven Shibori" opens up a world of creative surface design possibilities for weavers and textile artists.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in woven shibori. It includes all the technical information needed for this process, it is well-written and easy to understand, and it is a beautiful book to page through and simply admire the beautiful fabrics produced by the shibori process. ( )