The Marbling Process

Marbling is a method of hand-printed surface design. This process dates back to the 12th century, originating in Turkey and Japan. Marbling then spread to Europe in the 1600s and the process has not change much since then. 

All marbled Prillamena products are printed using these same classic methods.

Marbling starts by preparing a thickened solution of water and Carrageenan (an extract of Irish Moss), which needs to cure for at least two days before using.

When ready, pigments are floated on the solution and designs are made by hand with custom tools. Only then is the pattern transferred onto a piece of fabric.

What makes marbling special is that the pigments are lifted directly onto the fabric from the solution making each marbled piece custom and one-of-a-kind.

At Prillamena we mix our own pigments and craft our own printing tools to enhance the uniqueness of our fabrics.

Shibori Dying Technique

Shibori is an ancient Japanese process of dying fabrics. Dating all the way back to the 8th century, this technique uses the most basic materials to produced complex patterns.

Shibori uses waxed string to mask off areas of the fabric. This ensures the dye is unable to penetrate specific portions of the fabric. The result is leaving intricate shapes preserved within the dyed textile.

There are many forms of shibori. Prillamena specialized in Ne-Maki, Arashi, and Kumo Shibori techniques.

The making process predominately consists of a wrapping motion.

Sometimes this includes individually wrapping tiny pebbles into the fabric to make circular patterns, other times it means wrapping the fabric into a labyrinth of geometric folds for a more linear look.

No matter which method we use for any given print - Shibori is a slow, meditative process. Each Prillamena shibori fabric has a material history embedded within its design.