Gotta Love No. 55 - For the Love of Indigo Shibori!

It's a romance that started with a glance. Okay, it was actually one of those awkward stares that I got caught giving to Shibori textiles. And at the same time I was thinking about all the things I could do with this organic, color-drenched yumminess. 

Indigo dye cakes

I had to know more.  So just like a good stalker, (you know who you are, I'm not the only one) I "researched" this new love obsession. And fell madly in love. The natural Indigo dye extraction process is fascinating and I love a product that can be added to either your home or your wardrobe that has a story.

Indigo dye vats with sediment

Indigo Plants

It all starts with the Indigo plant and follows a journey from harvest to a blue dye that is stunning. The plants are generally harvested within 90 days of planting seeds. The harvested plants are pressed down into tanks filled with water. The leave-soaked water then goes into a second tank and is fermented naturally.

Once the sediment is released it is transferred to vessels, usually copper, then boiled. The sediment is then filtered and pressed to remove the moisture, cut into cakes and dried in the shade. Indigo dye is then sold in cake or powder form. This process has evolved over centuries and happens in regions of Japan, India and Indonesia, with what I am sure has generational "secrets" to perfect the craft.

The Japanese meaning of Shibori is "tied and bound" and it is a manual resist dyeing process that produces patterns in fabric. The process is another facet of art that lures me even further in this game of love.

So why does this indigo-dyed textile have my eyelashes fluttering? If I was a matchmaker I would totally introduce Shibori to a brown leather upholstery - a sofa or even a brown leather upholstered headboard. The marriage of deep rich leather with the welcome organic casualness of Shibori are an embrace a room needs. Rustic and live edge woods would be a divine match with Shibori too!

And let's just talk about the joy of wearing it close to one's skin. These Shibori cuffs are fashion porn.

And to serve any culinary delight on Shibori-inspired plates or a cup of heaven in the tea bowls is pure inspiration. Can you imagine how even a PB&J would taste in those dishes! You wouldn't even have to cut the crust off the bread.

Valais Black-nosed sheep's wool is another introduction I would make to Shibori. Whether it is in a room with brown leather with a Bohemian Chic vibe or a new baby's nursery - this match would be a smile generator in a room's design.

Gotta love Indigo Shibori and the centuries old story it holds. Let's fall in love together. Be inspired!

Sources: Etsy, Pinterest, Elle Fr., Nat Geo Instagram, House Nerd, Pindler & Pindler