Turning Old to New: Shibori Natural Dyeing – Event Recap
On August 24, we hosted our first community event in Toronto to kick off our next Explorations Series, Fabrics of Time!
We have clothing that’s sitting in a closet, waiting to be worn, but there’s never a right moment to reach for it. Items we’ve bought sometimes lose their spark or initial draw, whether trends have changed or our personal tastes have. Small and simple changes can make something new again and transform how we see things.
Dyeing is a simple way to bring new life to old clothes. Different colours and patterns can alter the clothing’s function. Textiles can take years to decompose. The world produces 92 million tons of textile waste every year and contributes to 7% of the total amount of waste in global landfills
We shared our own experiences with textiles, what clothing means to us, and resources/inspiration to carry our curiosity in upcycling and fashion forward. Check out some of these resources from our community!
- Nete.in – online marketplace for sustainable clothing made by Indian brands
- East of Pine – a Toronto-based brand that creates really cute products, hand dyeing from natural materials
You can try out Shibori yourself. There are varying kits on Amazon or craft stores. Some are pre-made mixes and there are some that require more chemistry.
Seamwork.com has a great, simple overview of the process
Check out Heddels.com for different Shibori patterns
Check out our upcoming talks and events as part of Fabrics of Time here.
Thanks again for joining us!
Puja + Dani
