I realize that it is still August and that it is very hot and humid for many of you, but it is time to start thinking of a new Dye/Print Season beginning in September. My first workshop will be held at the Pioneer Florida Museum on my birthday, September 20th. I thought it a good way to celebrate my birthday with good friends. We will still be doing eco printing on paper and fabric for those newcomers, but most of the workshop will be dedicated to indigo. We will continue the lessons in Shibori techniques and will venture into resist dyeing using Cassava paste resist and introducing clay resist. The workshops will continued to be held on the 3rd Sunday of each month from 9am to 4pm. Contact the Pioneer Florida Museum at (352) 567-0262 to make reservations.
We are coming to that time of year when color pigments are nearing their peaks and harvest time is not too far away. Keep your eyes open to what is happening in Nature around you and you will be able to identify dye sources and good printing materials. If you don't have time to print or dye now, youcan preserve by drying or freezing the materials until better opportunities present themselves.
Students must be delighted to learn from you expert James. Wish you in advance a birthday with color and have a fabulous day!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Terriea! At my age, I relish every new birthday! I love all of my students, and it is such a pleasure watching them grow.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great way to spend your birthday and I wish I could attend your workshop, will be down in Florida a week later in the Panhandle.
ReplyDeleteI know this goes way back but.......did you ever decide whether it was best to stop the rust dyeing process with salt, baking soda or just water? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt depends what the final product is to be. If it is a wearable (even a scarf) I now use baking soda If it is to be as wall hanging or structural piece, I will still use salt water soak. If I have a really heavy scale, I rarely use either.) I usually support the fabric with another layer on the back that is stitched as part of the design.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply. Can I ask why you use baking soda for wearables but salt water for wallhangings? I am just delving into the rust dyeing.
ReplyDeleteSalt and iron particles are fairly large, and are irritants to skin. Salt works very slowly by causing rust particles to degrade to smaller and smaller sizes, but they still irritate the skin. Baking soda on the other hand, neutralizes the rust, a 15 minute soak in a gallon of warm water will neutralize the rust so it does not irritate the skin. This lasts for about a year, then should be neutralized again. Beware, neutralizing rust may alter other natural colors on the same fabric.
DeleteHi Jim - so nice to meet a fellow fiber artist - and painter, printmaker, stitcher, quilter and more. I am fascinated by the steamer you devised. Would you be able to explain a little about it to me?
ReplyDeleteAlison Bessesdotter
The steamer is made from two large aluminum roasting pans (The disposable kind).one is turned upside down on the other and held around the sides with Binder clips (See Steamer photo #2 on left.) I add a least an inch, sometimes 2", of liquid in the bottom pan before place a rack (here I used what is called a beer can chicken cooker rack) on the bottom pan to hold two ceramic tiles above water level. I fold my fabric or my paper in a stack between the two ceramic tiles, then bind them with natural rubber bands, and place the whole thing in the oven at about 250 degrees F and steam for an hour and a half to two hours. I turn the oven off and let everything cool before removing. I hope this helps
ReplyDeleteOh thanks so much for sharing the process. I spent yesterday working on a 144" x 44" cyanotype and gathered many plants and wrapped about a dozen pieces of silk to cold process. I've read about adding alum as mordant and steaming the silk - your steamer would be a perfect solution! I rather enjoy seeing another person who is interested in improvising from items you find - I do much the same thing even in my watercolor paintings. Adding from the sources around me to create patterns that I add surface design and textures with threads.
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