Shirring and Heat set Shibori

What is shirring?

Shirring is when you use elastic in your bobbin and then sew through fabric pulled tight and then when releasing the fabric from a frame it will come together and bunch up.

My shirring samples

I like my samples as they were all different techniques giving their own outcomes. this gave me a diverse range of samples and styles to further develop if I like. I did ten samples all giving different feels and looks. I like the shirring technique as it has different textures for each one and can be incorporated into my garment.

Heat set shibori

What is heat set shibori?

Heat set shibori is when you use synthetic fabrics and tie items like marbles, rocks or paper clips and then put the bundles into a pressure cooker which causes the fabrics to set into place and hold their shape once the items are removed. Heat set shibori creates textures in fabric which can be very abstract. You can use this to achieve a style or theme for a garment.

My heat set shibori samples

I like these samples as they add abstract textures to an otherwise flat and dull pieces of fabric.