Thursday, September 5, 2013

Follow-Up----

I washed, dried and ironed my latest hand dyes.  Although the indigo color wasn't as intense, I am satisfied with this first attempt.  I am going to prepare fabric tomorrow for more dyeing while my "pot" is still okay.  I will dip the fabric bundles in at least four times though and see what the results will be.   I wonder what would happen if I added a little salt to the water I wet the fabric in before wrapping?  I also wonder what would happen if I also added a little soda ash?  Soda ash is already added to the pot initially, I don't want to ruin the mixture.  I will "study" on it a little tonight and decide what I am going to do.  What I may do is make those changes to my last batch of fabric I dip so if I ruin it, it will not impact all the pieces I dye.

Anyway---following are the ironed washed pieces that I particularly like.  If you click on the picture you get a close-up and  can see the "texture" much better.



The "solid" piece.  It reminds me of a ice dyed piece.

The piece was fan folded and placed between the two pieces of wood, held together with rubber bands.


Twisted with wide rubber bands attached.


Twisted with large and small rubber bands.

What did I learn?----This fabric has a wrong and a right side!  I will have to be mindful of that as I fold it to make patterns.  It has a "fractured" look.  Almost like ice or glass breaking (the camera doesn't really catch it).  I really like that effect.  That is what makes  the pieces  so interesting I think,  even though the color isn't as intense.  I didn't notice this on fabrics I saw on-line.  I am not sure what I did to make it happen though.  I do know that I notice an almost metallic covering before I washed it.

Well, as I said, I am satisfied with this first attempt.  More to follow!  Oh yea---the shirts also came out nice although like the fabric, the colors are not as intense.  Certainly, I will wear them.  Unfortunately, other than making the pieces into "solids", there isn't anything I can do about it since over-dyeing and maintaining the patterns would be impossible.  I will "live" with these results.


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