MATERIALS/STEPS FOR HGTV's That's Clever!
By Carolyn Braden
www.carolynsbloomingcreations.com
Project Name: Project One- Shibori Dyed Wall Hanging, Project Two- Beaded Ball Ornaments
DESCRIPTION:
In my first segment, I will be making a Shibori Dyed Wall Hanging. Shibori is a Japanese word for a variety of
ways of embellishing textiles by shaping cloth before they are dyed. I will be using the Ruching or Pole
Wrapping method to dye the background cloth of the hanging. I will also use a method I developed to
create a flower-like design to be sewn onto solid blue dyed squares, then sewn onto the background.
In my second segment, I will be making Beaded Ball Ornaments. The ornaments are made using long
straight pins and seed beads glued into craft cork balls.
MATERIALS: Segment One: Shibori Dyed Wall Hanging
1) Approximately 5 yards of 100% cotton fabric (Traditional Shibori is made using white or natural colored fabric.
For the filming of the show purposes, I will be using a light blue 100% cotton fabric)
2) Washing machine and dryer (Can be regular household machines)
3) Waxed Dental Floss for binding (Approximately 3 reels)
4) Plastic PVC Pipe cut to approximately 3 feet in length
5) Nylon twine (Approximately 8 yards)
6) Masking tape
7) Long, straight pins
8) Iron
9) Fabric fusing material
10) Fabric Scissors
11) Sharp, small pointed scissors for cutting off bindings
12) Rubber gloves
13) Apron
14) Concentrated Fabric Dye in liquid form
15) Warm Water (Approximately 105 degrees)
16) 2 Large buckets (Large enough to hold 20 quarts of water)
17) Dust Mask
18) Safety goggles
19) Long handled plastic spoon
20) Measuring cup
21) Measuring spoons
22) Clock/Timer
23) Newspaper or plastic drop cloth
24) Mild liquid soap detergent for washing fabric pre and post dyeing
25) 4 cups salt
26) 2.5 Tablespoons soda ash fixer
27) Sewing needle for stitching onto cotton material
28) Light blue embroidery floss
29) 2, 34” stretcher bars
30) 2, 18” stretcher bars
31) Household staple gun
32) 3 small, round, blue glass beads
33) Hammer
34) 2 nails for hanging project
STEPS:
Safety measures to take during this project: Use dust mask, goggles, and rubber gloves when working with the dye.
Work in an area without blowing air, wipe up any spills immediately, do not use utensils that you use with food, do not
eat, smoke, or drink in dye area, and be aware of dye on clothing—use an apron.
The Shibori dyeing technique can be used to dye silk scarves, clothing, pillowcases, and many more things. The project
possibilities are endless!! The project I will be creating is a Shibori Dyed Wall Hanging.
1) Wash all of the fabric in a washing machine using the mild soap detergent. Dry the fabric in dryer. This process
gets the sizing out of the material. (Compresses the fibers in order to hold the dye in the fabric).
2) Using fabric scissors, cut approximately 1.5 yards of fabric and lay out flat onto a table. You will use the method
of Ruching or pole wrapping to dye this fabric. Using masking tape, tape one end to the plastic PVC pipe. Tightly wrap
the fabric around the pole, going in a downward motion. The entire fabric should wrap the length of the pole,
overlapping slightly. (The tape helps keep the fabric from slipping if you don’t have help from someone to hold the pole
and fabric.)
3) Tightly wrap the nylon twine around the fabric that is wrapped around the PVC pipe (Pole). You may tie it around
the top of the pole first, wrap it downward onto the fabric, and tie it at the bottom of the pole.
4) Begin scrunching the fabric towards the bottom of the pole. The tape from taping the fabric on will be released at
this point. While scrunching the fabric, you must twist it at the same time. Scrunch and twist the fabric with the twine
around it until all the fabric and twine is at the bottom of the pole.
5) With fabric scissors, cut three, 6 inch by 6 inch squares of pre-washed and dried fabric, and dye the squares
using the flower technique by Carolyn Braden. To do this method, first use fabric scissors and cut the squares out. Lay
the squares out flat on surface. Pinch up the middle section of the fabric square. Holding the fabric where the pinched
up section is at the top, twist the fabric. The motion is similar to wringing out wet fabric. Twist tightly. Using the waxed
dental floss, wrap it around the tip of the twisted fabric. Wrap it around approximately 8-10 times tightly and tie it off.
Come down about ½ inch on the fabric twist and wrap another section of waxed dental floss approximately 8-10 times
and tie it off. Do this until you have reached the bottom of the twisted fabric. Repeat the same process with all three
squares of fabric.
6) Using fabric scissors, cut three, 10 inch by 10 inch squares of fabric. Leave them as loose, unbound squares.
7) Wet out, or soak your pole (with the fabric attached), flower fabric twists, and loose fabric squares in a clean
bucket filled with warm water for 10-15 minutes. Wetting out the fabric by soaking in water before dyeing allows the dye
to disperse more evenly into the fabric. Drain the water out of the bucket when finished.
8) Lay out newspaper or plastic drop cloth to protect the floor from the dye.
9) Prepare a dye bath in clean plastic bucket using the liquid dye, warm water, and salt. To prepare a dye bath,
first dissolve 4 cups salt into 10 quarts of warm water. (No warmer than 105 degrees). Then add 2 cups fabric dye. Stir
well. Keep it on the drop cloth or newspaper. Put the water bucket from the wetting out process next to the dye bath.
10) After your fabric has been wetted out, add the pole with fabric, the loose fabric squares, and the flower fabric
twists to the dye bath. (Do not dry them after wetting them out. They must be wet when added to the dye bath).
11) Stir the fabric using the plastic spoon continuously for 10 minutes. “Stir” the pole by agitating it up and down
and side to side while in the dye bath. Set the timer for exact time.
12) After the 10 minute agitation, remove fabric from dye bath and put into clean bucket next to the dye bath. Be
sure to use your rubber gloves, face mask, and goggles during this time for safety.
13) Dissolve 2.5 tablespoons soda ash in ½ cup warm water. Add to the dye bath and stir until well dissolved. The
soda ash begins a chemical reaction that aids in fixing the dye onto the fabric.
14) Return the fabric to the dye bath and stir continuously for 5 minutes.
15) Stir the fabric, and agitate the pole every 5 minutes for 60 minutes. Use the timer for exact times.
16) Remove the fabric from the dye bath, dripping the excess dye before placing into the empty bucket next to the
dye bath.
17) While still bound, carefully rinse the fabric in warm water in a sink until the water runs clear while rinsing. The
pole may be taken out of the bucket to be rinsed. The small fabric squares may be kept in the bucket when rinsed.
18) With the rubber gloves on, unbind all the fabrics while they are still wet. Do this over newspaper or plastic drop
cloth. Use small, sharp scissors, being careful not to cut the fabric when unbinding.
19) Using the bucket you used for rinsing, put all the unbound fabrics in it and wash again in warm water at the
sink. Use the mild liquid detergent and rinse all the fabric until the soap is cleared out of the fabric.
20) Hang or lay out your fabric to dry on a clean surface for 2-3 days. The fabric must dry completely.
21) When all the fabric is dry, iron it out flat. Use an iron on a medium setting. Cover your material with a scrap
piece of material before ironing. This will protect your fabric from your iron, keeping a clean surface on the iron and on
the project.
22) Put together your stretcher bars using the staple gun. Fit the bars together and staple the bars at each
corner where the bars meet. You should have a frame of 18” X 34”.
23) Stretch out approximately 1.5 yards of plain, blue 100% washed and dried cotton fabric over the stretcher bars
and staple it onto the frame. Tuck in your edges and staple around all the edges of the backside of the frame. This
provides a solid, sturdy backing for your dyed background. Use fabric scissors to cut off any excess material.
24) Stretch out your pole dyed fabric over the blue fabric on the stretcher bars. Staple it on over the blue fabric in
the same way you stapled on the plain blue fabric. You now have the base of your wall hanging. Set aside.
25) Take the ironed out flower designs and the loose dyed blue squares. Use the straight pins to pin the edges of
the squares under. This gives your design a finished look of refined edges. Iron the edges. To make the edges stay
under, cut squares of fabric fusing material to fit over the back of the squares. Lay the fusing material over the back of
the square, keeping the edges folded over the back. Use your scrap piece of cloth in order to iron them on, keeping the
project and iron clean. Press gently and keep the iron moving over the materials for approximately 1-2 minutes. Repeat
this step for all the squares, giving them all finished edges. Set aside.
26) Thread the blue embroidery floss onto your sewing needle. Using straight pins, pin one flower design onto a
blue dyed square. Lay the flower design into the middle of the blue square and pin around the edges. This keeps the
squares in place for easier sewing. Stitch one flower square design onto one dyed blue square. Try using a stitch
similar to a blanket stitch. For the stitch, you take the threaded needle and push it through the back of the blue square,
through the front edge of the flower square. Pull the needle through to the front of the flower square. Take the needle
and embroidery floss and stitch it back down through the blue square, to the back of both squares. Repeat this process
around all the edges of the flower design. This will decoratively attach the flower square to the blue square. Do this to
all three of the flower and blue squares. This appliqués or attaches your squares together.
27) Take a threaded needle and one blue glass bead. Push the needle through the back of the appliquéd
squares so that your needle comes through the center of the flower design. String a bead onto the needle and thread
when it is through the front of the squares. Stitch back through to the backside of the squares and tie off. This attaches
your bead to your appliquéd squares.
28) Take the wall hanging with the stretched pole dyed fabric background and lay out the appliquéd squares onto
it. Place them approximately 2-4 inches apart. When the placement of where you want the squares to be stitched onto
the background fabric is correct, use straight pins and pin the squares on. This will help keep them in place while you
stitch them on.
29) Using the same sewing technique you used to sew the flower square designs onto the blue dyed squares,
stitch them onto the background fabric.
30) Decide if you want to hang your wall hanging vertical or horizontal. Hammer 2 nails into the designated place
for your wall hanging. Hang your project up for all to see!!
SEGMENT TWO
Beaded Ball Ornaments
MATERIALS:
1) Seed beads in a variety of colors (purple, green, blue, silver, etc..)
2) 2 inch long straight pins with flat heads
3) Strong holding, liquid clear glue
4) Thin (1-2 cm wide) satin ribbon (Any color)
5) Craft cork balls in a variety of sizes
6) 4-5 clean, small, round lids from yogurt or butter containers
7) Towel or fabric covered surface to work on
STEPS:
1) Select the colors you wish to use for your seed beads.
2) Lay out a towel or fabric material on a flat surface to work on. This will help keep track of loose beads.
3) Pour a small amount of seed beads into a plastic container lid. This makes the beads easier to keep track of and
prevents loose bead spills.
4) Take your 2 inch straight pins and “pick up” the beads onto the pins. This technique is similar to stringing beads
on a necklace. Pick up enough beads to cover the pin. Leave approximately 3-4 cm empty at the end of the straight
pin.
5) Pour a small amount of the strong holding, clear liquid glue onto one of the clean plastic lids you are not using
with the beads. Dip the sharp end of the beaded pin into the glue. Stick the end with the glue into a craft cork ball.
6) Bead another pin in seed beads. Follow the same process as you did for your first beaded pin. Repeat this
process until you have filled up the cork ball all around with beaded pins.
7) When there is only room left on the cork ball for one more beaded pin, set the ball aside.
8) Cut approximately 5 inches of the thin satin ribbon and tie around the flat end of a straight pin. Tie the ribbon in
a knot onto the pin, and then tie the ends together to create a loop of ribbon for hanging.
9) Bead the pin as you did with all the other pins. Put glue on the end of this pin as you did with the other pins, stick
it into the cork ball and set the ball aside to dry.
10) Dry the project for at least 24 hours before hanging it. You may hang them in windows using clear fishing wire
tied onto the ribbon or on a tree for the holidays. You may display them in a bowl for a funky decoration for the middle
of your dinner table.