Square-print scarf (Shibori)

1 Materials: Silk scarf (taffeta), dyes for silk, needle, thread, iron. Divide the scarf up into regular parallel strips and crease with an iron.

2 Use a front stitch to sew along the creases.

3 The pattern will be finer if you use a small stitch.

4 After stitching is completed, iron creases that are perpendicular to the current lines. Again, stitch along the creases using a backstitch.

5 At the edges of the scarf, pull the threads tightly and fix in place with knots. To make sure the lines will be accentuated in fine detail, pull as firmly as possible. Binding the fabric at the end will support this even further.

6 Mix the dyes in hot water, using 1 part dye to 2 parts water. We used brick red, orange, dark brown, pink and grey dyes.

7 Use a brush to apply the dye to the silk. Apply a sufficient quantity of the individual dyes like stains next to one another. After the entire scarf has been coloured, saturate with vinegar and water (3 parts water to 1 part vinegar). Brush the solution onto the silk and let stand for 30 minutes.

8 Fix the dye to the silk by wrapping the scarf in a microtone bag and steaming it. Allow to cool in the pot. Once the dye is fixed, rinse the scarf and iron while still damp.