Aya Fiber Studio

This 4-day intensive workshop investigates kumo shibori, nui shibori, mokume shibori, and maki-age as a progressive language of drawing with thread. The course moves from point-based binding to linear stitching and finally into layered, sculptural resist structures that combine multiple techniques.

The class begins with kumo shibori, introducing foundational concepts of binding, tension, and elevation. Students then proceed into nui shibori, learning stitched line techniques that guide dye movement through rhythm and direction. From there, mokume shibori is explored as a structured variation of stitched shibori, emphasizing repetition, density, and wood-grain-like flow.

In the final phase, students move into maki-age, combining kumo and nui shibori techniques through wrapping, compression, and elevation to build complex, dimensional resist forms. This culminating process encourages experimentation, control, and personal expression.

Throughout the workshop, participants create samplers and develop an original composition, synthesizing all techniques learned into a finished textile. Indigo or fiber-reactive dye processes are used, with multiple dye baths revealing the layered effects of tension, repetition, and release.

This course is suitable for beginner to intermediate students and for artists seeking a deeper understanding of shibori as a structural, sequential, and compositional practice.