I thought you might like to see how I dyed a 3 yard run of Crepe Backed Silk Satin that I will eventually turn into a kimono. First, I hung up a large sheet of plastic and then put the silk on top of that and secured it all with some patio candles. It's very important that you use patio candles for this, by the way. It adds a certain- I don't know- excitement to the process because you don't really know if a great gust of wind will come up and take the whole thing down at any moment. You could use push pins but that would eliminate the element of surprise.
Next I poured blue dye from top to bottom.
Then some Turquoise and a bit of Cayman Island Blue came next.
Finished it off with some Fuchsia Red poured VERY conservatively here and there. The dyes were allowed to pool at the bottom. The silk then sat for 2 days. The top part dried within 2 hours and the bottom part never dried. At this point, a big gust of wind DID blow down the top but I left it sitting in the very old dye on the bottom for another half a day before rinsing.I'll show you how it looks next week. It really is lovely with just the effect I was looking for- long streaks for the front and bunched up color for the back.
The plan is to start cutting and sewing Friday. Wish me luck.
The other things I have going are three very large orders via Fabric Designs.com consisting of two wedding dresses made of hand dyed silks, and an order for every color I make in raw silk. You can see the progress on that order in the picture above. 21 more pieces to go and I'm there! Fun stuff but time consuming.So what are YOU doing these days?
5 comments:
It was warm here in NC over the weekend and I was able to do some batiking outside. Cold again, now, though. I've never dyed silk but you're making me want to try it!
Just a word of warning, Nancy. Once you start, you can't stop. It is the BEST. The difference between dyeing cotton to silk is like comparing how a 1965 VW bus drives- uphill- to letting loose a fine Italian sports car.
I teach silk dyeing at www.quiltuniversity.com. It will be offered again later this year- probably at the beginning of summer. But again...it doesn't come with a warning lable.
Happy batiking, Laura. That truly is my first love.
I can't wait to see the finished product. What type of silk do you use? I went to Hancock's today to check out their silk and the only one with a good weight was the dupioni--the rest seemed very flimsy.
This one is my favorite, Crepe Backed Silk Satin- Charmeuse.
The silk I sell on my web site is the same stuff and WAY cheaper than JoAnn's/Hancock's. And....nicer.
http://www.fabricdesigns.com
Click on "supplies"
I only get paid once a month, so I'll be ordering some around the first of the month, when I have some "extra" money again!
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