Sunday, January 31, 2016

Love that "ICE DYEING"

 These are some of the results of the soy wax resist and ice dyeing.  WOW!  I love the techniques the ladies got.


 These three were not soy wax and ice, but we still were very impressed with the results that Annie got with some burnout chiffon and a Mandaly folded design.
   these are ice dyed fabrics.

 Audrey made ups three of her dyed fabrics.  They look great when they become quick jackets.
 Two new (to me anyway ) products which were purchased at the "Road to California" quilt show.
I was in  Hawaii so I missed it.

 It is always so great to see a finished project.  This beautiful scarf was started in the silk painting class a semester ago and Kristina brought it in to share.  It feels so good to finish.
 More ice dye and soy wax resist.  Love the colors.
Janet brought in a silk painted scarf she had finished.  This scarf had the background painted first, by doing that you lose the outside gutta lines.  I'm working on a shirt I painted using the technique.  Hope to have it finished soon so I can share.
Wednesday we will be using the screens, stencils and such to continue discharging and also using them for applying thickened dye.  I will bring thickener and dye and some patterns if you want to also try the thickened dye for direct painting.  Bring some white cotton you have pre-soaked in soda ash.  I gave out packages of Soda Ash so don't forget to pre- prepare your fabrics so the dyes will set.  Also bring some thin plastic to cover the painted or printed surfaces so they can stay moist to set.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

I'm back

I'm back from Hawaii.  It was a great trip with my three daughters, just the girls, no kids, or husbands.




 Of course there were chickens all over the place.  I will be painting a few pictures of them to go with my Cuba chickens.

 Beautiful beaches and ocean.  We had a wonderful time just playing and relaxing.
Now it is back to class on Wednesday.
We will be discharging out some of the color we have put in using a couple of different products.  I will be doing some experimenting on Monday and Tuesday so I can do a demo and look like I know what I am talking about.  Also I will bring the Thermofax machine so you can make silk screens if you want, just be sure your image is carbon based.  I will also bring a bunch of my screens for you to use.  Bring your fabric!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

A Good Day

Show and tell was a real treat yesterday.  So many successful Ice Dyed fabrics.

 Audrey is branching out and making sculptured items from quilted fabrics.  So cool.


 All of the above fabrics were stunning.  There were also many more, but I didn't get my camera out soon enough to photograph them all.  
 Leslie is expecting a new grandchild and this darling onesy  will be so cute for the little one.

Annie shared sone of her outstanding hand dyed fabrics.  She always makes us "Ohhh and Ahhh when she shows us her beautiful skill as a hand dyer.

NO CLASS NEXT WEEK   But be thinking of what you want to do next.

When We get back on January 27th  I will bring the stuff to remove color from hand dyed fabrics with stamps, silk screens, and stencils.  So be sure and bring your dyed fabrics to work on.  I will bring lots of silk screens, stencils and a few stamps you can use.

I will also bring my Theromax Machine so you can make your own silk screens if you wish.  To make a screen you must have a CARBON BASED black and white copy.  It will not work with a computer print out so take your design to the copy shop and tell them to make a copy with a carbon based copy machine.   You can make 3 screens for $20 or $7.50  for one.   Sorry the price of the screen has gone up so I have to charge more than before.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Soy Wax Resist and Ice Dyeing

This is the result I got from the soy wax and ice dyeing in class last week.  I like it.

This week we will again do soy wax resist and ice dyeing, but we will also try direct application of the liquid dye to the waxed fabric.  I noticed several of the students were painting definitive designs (things that look like something, rather than just shapes.)  so I'm suggesting that if you want to do that you might be happier with painting on the dye in specific areas.  More like a regular batik method.  I have some stretcher bars or you can bring your own if you would like.  I just want to have fun with what we are doing, and give you a little more flexibility designing.  

Here is the schedule of events for the coming semester:

Schedule for 2016                                               Diane Ricks

e-mail: bobbydi@charter.net  

Week 1_ Jan 6 Soy Wax resist and Ice Dyeing


Week 2 _Jan 13 Soy Wax resist and Ice Dyeing plus  Soy Wax and direct dye application.  
Supplies to bring:  
                        Fabric, or scarves, stretcher bars if you want to try the direct application of dye to the waxed fabric.

Week 3_Jan 20 NO CLASS I WILL BE IN HAWAII

Week 4_ Jan 27 Discharge of images from dyed fabrics using “Soft Scrub with Bleach and Discharge Paste.
Supplies to bring:  Your dyed fabrics, or other hand dyed fabric
silk screens, stencils, blank screen, I will bring all my screens and stencils for you to use at no charge.  
                        If     you have screens and stencils you want to use, bring those.  I know many of you do

I will bring my Thermofax machine and you can make up to 3 screens.  They is an extra charge of $20 for three screens or $7.50 per screen.   Make a Xerox copy of a black and white image you want to make a silk screen from. 


Week 5 _Feb 3    Discharge  I will bring the Thermofax again.

Week 6 _Feb10 Those who have not done silk painting I will have a project for you to learn about the technique.  
                        Those who have done silk painting we will explore ways to use it with garments, art quilts or wall hangings.   
Supplies to bring:  A silk scarf or silk habatoi and a frame.  (I have several frames if you do not have one.)   
brushes   
palette and paints if you have them. ( I have supplies you may use to learn the technique.)


Week 7 _______     Finishing our projects.  Farewell 

Saturday, January 2, 2016

It WORKS!

WOW!!   It works.  This is a photo of a sample of using the soy wax resist and ice dyeing.  Even though it is only about 1/4 yard of fabric I learned a lot.

1.  I put the wax on and then did the soda ash soak.  (One instruction said do the soda ash first.  It didn't seem to matter.)
2.  Little stamps don't work as well as bigger simple shapes.  The round shapes are a cookie cutter.
3.  I started putting on the dye powder before the ice.  Then I remembered to put the ice on first then dye powder, but it still worked.
4.  The soy wax washed out when I rinsed first in warm then in HOT and then poured boiling water over the fabric in a bucket, stirred with a stick, and when it cooled swished and rinsed again.   (If it had been more fabric I would have washed it in the washing machine with Synthrapol and HOT water to finish it. After doing the above rinsing.

I think this process is going to work.  I have some silk under the ice at the moment.  It was on a couple of pre-dyed scarves.  I'll check it in a few hours and see how it came out, and post the results.
Now I am thinking of several other possibilities to try, just need lots more time.

Friday, January 1, 2016

Getting Ready

I got back from the snow in Utah yesterday and after a quiet night (New Year's Eve) I went to work this morning trying out what I had thought might work for class.  Well, some will and some won't, but it's always fun to try.

At the bottom is a list of things you will need to bring.  I will bring 1 yard of cotton for each student, plus the Soy Wax,  Dye,  Soda Ash and this bunch of tools.
This is an assortment of stamping things that will not melt in the hot wax.  You might have a few things around that you can bring to print wax images onto your fabric.  The things with a big image are best.  A potato masher, metal ring, wood blocks, etc.  Just bring something that you might think will make a nice pattern


 These small  tjaps did not give a clear image.  the bigger more open space one did.  The cookie cutter using the rounded edge worked good.  The brushes were good for making marks.

I have this pan and a rice cooker to melt wax.  If anyone has another "OLD Dedicated to Wax"
 Electric fry pan please bring it.
Trying out some of the mark makers and what works.  BIG SHAPES WORK BEST 
 You can see the small tjaps did not give clean images.
This Tjap did work okay.  
You will need some kind of rack and a bin or bucket to put it in.


You will need some kind of rack and a bucket or bin to hold your fabric out of the melted dye water. You can make one out of a throwaway plastic as I have done here. Or use a dedicated rack.  
So here is the list of things to bring to class.
rubber gloves
 bin or bucket
rack of some kind to go in bin or bucket
extra fabric if you wish more than 1 yard
silk scarves will also work
non-melting things to stamp hot wax with

I will bring the Soy Wax the Dye and Ice