Two friends invited me to join them in an ice dying session.
This is their second summer ... I was travelling and missed the fun last year.
So, here are my first pieces! The full piece is followed by a detail.
The basic method:
Pretreatment of Fabric: natural fibre, pre-soak in soda ash solution. Allow to dry.
I used a fine weave, white cotton. Approximately 1 meter pieces.
In a plastic pail/tray, fold/scrunch a layer of fabric.
Cover with ice so that no dye powder can fall through to fabric (causes dots of bright colour).
Sprinkle with procion dyes - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. for each colour.
Repeat layers of fabric, ice and dye.
Place in the sun for the ice to melt and dissolve the dye. A few hours allows the dye to penetrate the fabric.
Your design is a function of how you fold the fabric, how you sprinkle the dye and how much dye you use.
Final treatment:
Soak: starting with cool to hot rinses ... until the water runs clear.
Finish with a very hot water rinse.
Wash in the washing machine with a little synthrapol to prevent further running of the dye.
These are not masterpieces, but create interesting fabric that can be used as a background or fussy cut for interesting bits like flower petals.
The best part is seeing the results. If my friends are typical, I think it is addictive!
This is their second summer ... I was travelling and missed the fun last year.
So, here are my first pieces! The full piece is followed by a detail.
 |
| Vertically folded: tight to loose at end (top) |
 |
| Second layer - also folded |
 |
| Top layer, tightly folded. |
 |
| Second pail: large square folds. |
 |
| Second layer - scrunched. |
 |
| My favorite: done in a small container. Folded like a snowflake. |
Pretreatment of Fabric: natural fibre, pre-soak in soda ash solution. Allow to dry.
I used a fine weave, white cotton. Approximately 1 meter pieces.
In a plastic pail/tray, fold/scrunch a layer of fabric.
Cover with ice so that no dye powder can fall through to fabric (causes dots of bright colour).
Sprinkle with procion dyes - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. for each colour.
Repeat layers of fabric, ice and dye.
Place in the sun for the ice to melt and dissolve the dye. A few hours allows the dye to penetrate the fabric.
Your design is a function of how you fold the fabric, how you sprinkle the dye and how much dye you use.
Final treatment:
Soak: starting with cool to hot rinses ... until the water runs clear.
Finish with a very hot water rinse.
Wash in the washing machine with a little synthrapol to prevent further running of the dye.
These are not masterpieces, but create interesting fabric that can be used as a background or fussy cut for interesting bits like flower petals.
The best part is seeing the results. If my friends are typical, I think it is addictive!
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