Monday, March 24, 2008

I had a mind to play around with some dyeing at the weekend.
I used Procion dyes in my two favourite colours – Indigo Navy and Mustard.
I used Cotton, Silk Noil, Muslin and Cotton Organdie, wrapped them round with elastic bands and put some in the Mustard dyebath first.
I also dyed some lengths of fabric just in the Indigo Navy at the same time so when I took the wrapped pieces from the Mustard dyebath I rinsed, re-wrapped and transferred them to the almost exhausted Indigo Navy dyebath.
These are some of the resulting pieces of fabric.
I then decided to put some of them together in a panel. Its about a metre high x 60 cms wide.
It doesn’t look too good, I think there is too much going on although it does look different when you see it as a whole rather than a scaled down photo. I really didn’t spend enough time playing around with positioning the fabrics but it isn’t a serious piece – just something I fancied doing.
I also wanted to try out some Thermofax screens I bought from the Committed to Cloth stand at Ally Pally last October.
I could become seriously addicted to this technique :)
It was great fun and I’ll write up another blog posting shortly with some of the other bits I created.
These two prints on this panel were my first attempt and I was very pleased with the way they turned out. It’s such a simple procedure with instant results.
This photo shows a close up of the Muslin in the right hand corner on the panel.
I cut a length from the same piece as that which it sits on and run it through the smocking machine.
Just thought I’d drop this photo in. I cut and pasted this section from the original and thought it had a sort of watercolour painting look about it.
And this vaguely related piece is Cotton Velvet which had been previously dyed Golden Yellow, wrapped with elastic bands and dunked in the Indigo Navy dyebath. I think I’m going to screen print on this piece too. I want to try out screen printing with plexi-glue and then foiling on the top

14 comments:

artmixter said...

nice work... I never use mixes, or very rarely, but maybe....
marion

Unknown said...

Looks great Lynda, gorgeous colours!

Carol said...

Hey you, wondered where you'd been hiding, but now i se it was in a pile of dye! Best place for you! Love the colours, and the texture you have created with the colour. Can't wait to see the thermofax thing, love to know more. Hope your wel and having a great easter break. Hope your just busy as you have been so quiet of late. Love carol T

Angela said...

Wow your dyed pieces are just gorgeous! Like Carol, I have been missing your blog posts hope all is ok with you.

Annica said...

Hi Lynda, I have just been nominated for an award by Gunnel as a blog that’ brings her inspiration and makes her appreciate the blogosphere’, and of course I have to do the same to 10 blogs that I enjoy! You meet the criteria so consider yourself well and truly nominated! If you have the time please do the same for 10 other inspiring sites.

Doreen G said...

I love these shibori pieces Lynda--especially the last one- very yummy

sharon young said...

Hi Lynda
Great set of dyed pieces you have here. I like the Thermofax screen print, what a clever idea, thanks for the link.
I did screen printing at college and loved it, my mind's been dreaming up ways of doing this technique at home for ages, but the kit from AVG is expensive, so this might be a way round it.
Looking forward to seeing where you go from here.

neki desu said...

boy were you missed!
seems like the zeitgeist i'm also screen printing like mad.
lovely results you got.

neki desu

Sarah said...

I love the fabrics you've dyed. I've just discovered dyeing and am having great fun with it. I'm already a fan of screen printing - I'm sure you'll have great fun with the technique. I'm impressed you've done something with your fabrics - I just seem to dye loads and then sit and look at them...

Dianne said...

Great colours Lynda. I especially like the pieces wth the red stripes....

chrissythreads said...

Love the piece run through the smocking machine and have been looking at the 'screen site'. I did screen printing at college but never had the opportunity to develope it (or the time) but this could be a way of revisiting it. Thanks for the link.

gunnelsvensson said...

So beautiful fabrics you have hear!

Shirley Anne Sherris said...

Hi
I see you have been missed - ditto from me.

We have both been busy dying. I have had two dying sessions as is obvious by the colour of my hands. I have been dying fibres.
Did you buy screens with designs already on them or did you make your own? Never tried screen printing. Bought some screen printing mesh many years ago and it is still in the drawer - would like to use it for something.
Cheers
SAS

Sandy said...

Nice experiments. It's looks like you had fun. Sandy