Larch Pattern Shibori - botanical silk scarf

This striking patterned scarf has been dyed with two botanical dyes, madder and logwood. The beautiful soft orange and purple patterning has been created using a hand stitched shibori technique.

Madder - rubia tinctorum, - one of the oldest and most beautiful of natural dyes is a dye plant I have been able to grow in my garden here in the Kootenays. It takes 3 to 5 years to yield a gorgeous red, and is one of the world's oldest, most sustainable and beautiful of natural dyes. Logwood - Haematoxylum campechianum - is extracted from the heartwood of the logwood tree and yields a strong purple dye.

The repeated rows of circles with radiating patterns have been made using a stitched shibori pattern called 'karamatsu' which refers to the patterns of a larch cone. This is a stitched resist technique where each circle has been hand stitched in concentric circles over a fold in the cloth and then pulled up tight before dyeing. When the stitching is released after dyeing, a beautiful pattern remains. You can tell when a shibori pattern has been created by hand (instead of printing) by the tiny pinpricks left by the needle when you hold it up to the light, and this is what adds to the beauty of this silk scarf.

This is a large but very lightweight silk scarf with a medium but soft drape. It can be worn looped, knotted, draped, hooded or as a light shawl. This particular scarf is beautiful worn wide around the waist with a skirt or pants and will transform the simplest of outfits into something stunningly unique.

Details:

Measurements: 82 inches long by 22 inches wide

Fibre content: 100% light to medium weight silk habotai.

Stitching: Hand hemmed by the artist using 100% silk thread

Care instructions: Wash by hand in cool or warm water using a mild soap or a small bit of mild shampoo. Hang to dry, and iron if you