Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn shibori dyeing
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Shibori, a Japanese word, is now the accepted umbrella term for stitching, binding, wrapping or clamping cloth so that dye cannot reach parts of it, and you only see the pattern when you open the cloth after dyeing. The courses listed here all dye in indigo, so you come away with blue-and-white fabric you patterned yourself.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650An afternoonIndoorsWith othersUK and US
What you learn
Shibori works by compression. Cloth is folded, bound or otherwise squeezed before it goes into the dye, and the compressed parts resist it. The traditional techniques are stitch resist, wrapping the cloth around a pole, binding and capping, and clamping between boards.
Each has a Japanese name you will meet on courses. West Dean College's summer week covers mokume, makiage, itajime board clamping and arashi pole wrapping, among others, and asks for some hand-sewing skill.
A two-day course by Aizome Studio at Aya Fiber Studio in Florida has students prepare an indigo vat on the first day and use it over both days, learning how folding, binding and tension change the pattern.
Beginners' days are gentler. A one-day workshop at the Oxfordshire Museum used simple sewn shapes on an A4 piece of fabric, with free-form work rather than traditional techniques.
Workshops and what they cost
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock | One-day beginners' workshop with textile artist Emi; lunch and sashiko needles included (past run) | £108 |
| Design Nation, booked through De Montfort University | Two days of indigo shibori, including stitched (nui) shibori (past run) | £300.00 |
| Jane Callender, Blue Leaf studio, Norfolk | Five-day summer school, beginners and experienced, six or seven students (past run; 2025 dates) | Not listed; ask |
| Historic Yellow Springs, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania | Three-and-a-half-hour beginners' class in indigo (past run) | $95, plus a $35 materials fee |
| Aizome Studio at Aya Fiber Studio, Stuart, Florida | Two-day intensive, beginners and returning students | $320, plus a $35 material fee |
West Dean notes that its shibori course may not suit people with nut allergies or sensitivities to dye plants. If that applies to you, ask before you book.
How to start
- Book a beginners' day or weekend workshop, and check whether fabric and dye are in the fee or charged as a materials fee.
- Take an apron, long rubber gloves, small scissors, a seam ripper and hand-sewing needles: one US studio asks for all of these.
- If you are asked to bring your own fabric, choose plain natural cotton or linen and pre-wash it without fabric softener.
Where to go
- Jane Callender: shibori workshops in Norfolk UK
- West Dean College: shibori techniques for textiles UK
- Aizome Studio at Aya Fiber Studio, Stuart, Florida: shibori foundations US
We opened these links on 13 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Two ways to plan it.
Plan it yourself Free
The links you need to book it, get there, find somewhere to stay and eat, and see what else there is to do nearby. They are searches for you to run; nothing is saved.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What is shibori?
A Japanese word that is now the accepted umbrella term for resist-dyeing techniques in which cloth is stitched, bound, wrapped or clamped before dyeing, so that the compressed parts stay pale.
Is shibori the same as tie-dye?
Shibori has become the accepted umbrella term for the skills often still called tie and dye, but it covers stitching, pole wrapping and board clamping as well as tying.
Do I need sewing skills for shibori?
For stitched shibori, a little. West Dean asks for some hand-sewing skill and dexterity with thread; simpler beginners' days use basic sewn shapes.
What should I bring to a shibori workshop?
Usually an apron, long rubber gloves, small scissors and a seam ripper. Some courses, such as West Dean, also ask you to bring your own pre-washed fabric and thread.
Where this comes from: Jane Callender, About Shibori; Jane Callender, Norfolk Workshops; West Dean College, Shibori techniques for textiles with Rob Jones; Oxfordshire County Council, Japanese Shibori Dye Workshop for Beginners; De Montfort University store, Design Nation Indigo Shibori Dyeing; Historic Yellow Springs, Shibori Dyeing for Beginners; Aya Fiber Studio, Shibori Foundations: Cloth, Indigo and Control. Opened 13 November 2026.
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