Three Dimensional Texture on Cloth - Hand Stitching

Many artists working on a flat surface continually strive to create the illusion of depth and texture. There are many printing and dyeing techniques that accomplish that goal.  However sometimes the work calls for an element that is raised above the surface of the cloth. Do you want to create real texture, not just the illusion? Over the next few weeks I'll highlight some of the techniques I use to add dimension.

Hand stitching in a contrasting or complimentary color adds a nice accent. If you don't consider yourself good with a needle - no problem. I did not come from a stitching background. When I first started using stitch seven years ago, it felt very awkward. But I have come to love it. I find it calming to sit with a needle and thread. You don't need to know any fancy stitches - a simple stitch repeated many times can result in a rich surface. 

Use a thicker thread (4-6 strands of embroidery floss or size #3 or 5 of pearl cotton)  for more impact. Embroidery floss is made up of six strands that can be separated to create the desired thickness. While that sounds great because you have the flexibility to create the thickness you want, beginners may find it harder to stitch with the floss.  Sometimes the plies separate while stitching, leaving a loose thread in some stitches. Pearl cotton has multiple plies, but they are non-divisible. It comes in several thicknesses - the smaller the number the thicker the thread.

This Moment, detail view

This Moment, detail view

This Moment, 80" x 24", silk noil

 See how a simple straight stitch in red thread draws the eye into the small circle?

Marking Time, detail view

Marking Time, 80" x 24", Silk noil

The stitching on Marking Time is more subtle.  A tone-on-tone effect was used to keep the emphasis on the red painted marks.

The decision about what stitch to use was easy.  These two pieces explore our emphasis on "marking time" - looking to the past or future rather than focusing on the current moment. The universal symbol for counting seemed to make sense as a stitched element.  As did a double chain stitch to complete the larger circles on This Moment.

 Next Tuesday I'll highlight a few pieces with hand beading.

If you are intrigued and would like to explore several ways to add dimension, join me later this month in San Antonio for Three Dimensional Texture on Cloth, a 2 day class at the Southwest School of Art.

On Mentors

A comment from a friend started me thinking about the mentoring relationship.  She was talking about her mentor and how they had a falling out.  She said, "I guess that's normal.  Once you realize your mentor isn't perfect, you can't continue the relationship and you can't become friends - it just won't work."

Mentors are a special breed.  They share their knowledge, they do all they can to support your efforts, and they often become friends and colleagues. I was taken aback by her comment, because my experience has been just the opposite.  I have been fortunate to have had a number of mentors over the years. I deeply value those relationships - both for the wisdom and guidance during the mentoring period and for the life-long friendships that evolved.

The transition from mentor to friend isn't always easy.  I agree with my friend - the realization that a mentor is just a human being with quirks and frailties will change the relationship. But if both parties are open to the change and are willing to talk openly about any conflict or uneasiness that comes up, it can evolve into a rewarding friendship. I think the key word is evolve.  The relationship changes over time as you move beyond the teacher/student dynamic and recognize the other as an equal. 


In September, I'll be visiting a former boss and mentor from when I was in my early 20's.  She taught me a lot about the business world and encouraged me to stretch beyond my self-imposed limitations. Her faith in me helped me gain self confidence.  She has long since retired and I have remained good friends with her and her husband.

Who was your mentor and what did they bring to your life?

A Month-Long Resist "Fest"!

If you haven't read the blog, And Then We Set It On Fire, you are missing out.  It is hosted by a group of fiber artists and each month they focus on a particular technique. For the month of August, they will explore the use of resists. They are also giving away a copy of my book, Visual Texture on Fabric (courtesy of C&T Publishing). To enter the drawing, leave a comment by July 31on the blog post linked below:

http://andthenwesetitonfire.blogspot.com/2012/07/give-away-for-augusts-technique-of-month.html

On August 1, I'll be kicking off the month of resists on their blog with a sugar resist tutorial. Plus I'll be giving away a sample set of resist-dyed fabrics.  See you there!

Ice Dyeing Observations

I can't claim to be an expert on ice dyeing, since my first try was two weeks ago.  I have dyed about 15 yards of fabric using the technique, however, so I have learned a few things.

The Ice

It takes a lot of ice.  My freezer can't create cubes fast enough, so I had to buy it.  And the lack of room in my freezer limited how much I could do at one time. I actually found myself wishing I lived somewhere that had snow so I could dye as much as I wanted!

I only used whole ice cubes, so I can't comment on how the pattern is affected by using crushed ice. I like the results I got, so I never bothered to crush it. I did use several types and sizes of cubes and didn't really see much difference.  The tightness of the scrunching seemed to have more impact on the pattern.

I found it difficult to mound much ice on top of the fabric because I was using a flat surface, rather than a container with sides.Check out the Quilt or Dye blog for a great way to overcome that. I ended up with a lot of spaces between the ice cubes where the cloth was exposed.  More info under  The Dyes, as to why it matters.

The Dyes

I used mixed colors, since I read that they turn out more interesting that way.  It makes sense - the beauty is not only the patterning, but the way the colors break out and mix and mingle together. I tried the technique with both powder and liquid dye.  The powdered dye method did seemed to yield more complex and intriguing colors.

When I used liquid dyes, I mixed a very strong concentration - about 1 t dye to 2 oz. water. That resulted in medium value fabrics. When I used the powder dyes, I sprinkled on about 1 teaspoon total per yard. 

When using the powdered dyes, I ended up with spots of color where the dye powder landed directly on the fabric. You may find that desirable or not.  If not, use more ice and pile enough ice on top so that none of the fabric is directly exposed.

Flecks from powdered dye directly on fabric

The Fabric

I tried a variety of fabrics: cotton sateen, cotton printcloth, Kona, silk habotai, silk noil, cotton/silk charmeuse,dobby noil, and even a 50/50 poly cotton (I thought it was all cotton). The patterning came out with a softer edge on the silks than the cotton.  Both are beautiful, just different. As expected, the thinner fabrics have less patterning.

Silk habotai

Silk/cotton charmeuse

Silk dobby noil

Cotton

Time

I read that the color/pattern breakouts are due to the slow dyeing. Since I was doing it outside in 95 degree weather, it probably wasn't that slow.  It took from 1-2 hours for the ice to melt, and I let it batch for 3-4 hours after that.  I have not done any comparisons to see if longer batching time or longer time before the ice melts yields different color and pattern.  That will be my experiment for this fall/winter.

Wash-Out

I found very little excess dye run-off. I soaked the fabric in cold water for about 10 minutes.  Very little dye came out in the rinse after that soak.

Artist . . .in Training?

A friend and I were talking about attending workshops and the feelings of insecurity that sometimes brings. She had just completed a workshop and was feeling that she didn't "measure up" to her classmates. I could relate to that.  I have experienced those feelings in a workshop setting - that my work was not as good (whatever that means!) as the others'.

When I first started working in textiles, I had recently quit my corporate job and didn't have money to attend workshops.  So I checked out every book my library had on dyeing and surface design.  I scoured the Dharma Trading website and catalog for information.  And I played.  When my financial situation improved and I was able to attend a few workshops, I often felt like a beginner.  I felt that my work was so amateurish compared to others in the class.  I doubted whether I really was an artist.

It was a long road to the place where I feel more secure in who I am and where I am.  (That doesn't mean I don't experience those feelings anymore - just not as much.) Why do we insist on comparing ourselves with others?  Each of us is on our own journey.  We start in different places and take different paths. We are continually learning and growing.  Each of us is an artist in training, going at our own pace.

A Rendezvous With an Old Love

A fluttering of excitement in the stomach. Shortness of breath. A touch of giddyness. That is how I feel as I work with silk screens in the studio.  I was on a self-imposed hiatus from screenprinting for a couple of years.  I wanted to eliminate the intermediary (silk screens and other tools) and apply color to cloth directly with my hands.

Looking back, I can't believe I gave up screen printing for such a long time.  For several years that's all I did.  No immersion, just screen printing with dye. I loved it. And I find that I still do.  I can't explain why, but I become completely immersed in the process.  Time flies. I don't want to stop.

Without intending it, my approach is a bit different now.  I'm trying new things. I guess I had gotten into a rut and now I'm looking at it with a fresh eye.  And now I'm combining screen printing with hand painting techniques.  The best of both worlds!

Until I got sidetracked by ice dyeing last week, I've been working diligently in the studio with my silk screens for the past month. Only one finished piece to show for it, but lots in progress. Here is a sneak peek. More photos will come as they are complete.

What is your surface design "love"?

More Ice Dyeing

I spent a few more days ice dyeing last week.  I'm really enthralled by the process.  It's my "new boyfriend", as Jane Dunnewold would say. Below are more photos of my results.  I have also documented the process for those of you who may not be familiar with it.  You can also google "ice dyeing" and you will find numerous tutorials and lots of ideas for alternate ways of setting this up.

Red violet and yellow green liquid dyes on cotton

Red, yellow and green powdered dyes on cotton sateen

Yellow and green powdered dyes on cotton

Blue and orange liquid dyes on silk/cotton

Tobacco, bronze and palomino gold powdered dyes on cotton

Red and green liquid dyes on cotton

This set up worked well.  I placed a tarp on the grass and anchored the corners into the ground. The fabric was raised above the surface with a plastic ceiling grid. The fabric was soda soaked and the dyes were applied while the fabric was damp.

The day the photos were taken, I used powdered dye sprinkled directly onto the ice cubes. Salt and pepper shakers work well for this. I used full size ice cubes made with ice cube trays.  The powdered dyes mix and mingle with the melting ice. Later in the week I experimented with different kinds of ice and with liquid dyes.
 

Once all the dye had been applied, I folded the tarp in half to keep the cloth damp.  This also proved helpful when the rain storm came through later that morning.

This is what the cloth looked like after the ice cubes melted.  Not very exciting.  But look at the finished cloth below.

Deep purple and jade green on silk dobby noil

Studio Creep and Studio Envy

For the past 7 years, my home studio has been in one of the extra bedrooms in our home.  It is a rather small space and it has become smaller over the years.  (With the acquisition of all of my "stuff"!) I finally gave in and appropriated an adjacent room as additional studio space.

I blame studio envy for my decision.  It started in March when I had a chance to see Dianne Hricko's studio in Philadelphia.  Ohhhhhh what a space! You can see photos of it on her blog.  It is huge - probably the size of half of my house. It has wonderful high ceilings, lots of storage space and a huge 12 foot table.  Actually I don't know the size of the table, but it seems like 12 feet.

Then last month Barbara Schneider, another friend of mine, moved into a wonderful studio space. You can see photos on her blog. Her space has high ceilings, lots of natural light, plenty of room to move around and even space to hang finished work.

I was feeling too cramped in my small 10' x 13' studio, so the sunroom is now my design studio.  By moving the futon, bookshelves and design wall out, I have room for another work table in the wet studio. My new studio "suite" still feels too small, but it is certainly better than before. Maybe in another few years studio creep will kick in again and I'll take over the dining room!

Art Movie Night

Another aspect of the online class I took with Alyson Stanfield is planning for your continued learning.  She gave us a worksheet designed to get us thinking about ways to enhance our knowledge of art in general, art techniques and other topics related to our work.  One of her suggestions is to watch art documentaries. Occasionally I'll watch one and I am usually inspired.  So we have instituted art movie night in our household.  Once a week we watch a documentary or movie focused on an artist or art.

Last week we watched Waste Land, a documentary about Vik Muniz.  He is a photographer who creates compositions with unusual objects and then photographs them. He has done work in thread, diamonds, chocolate syrup, soil, dust, junk and trash.  I saw his work, Bacchus Astride a Barrel, at a local museum and was fascinated.  The documentary is about a series of portraits he created using trash from a landfill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  He spent three years there, getting to know the landfill workers who pull recyclable objects from the landfill.  He photographed them and then, with their help, created large scale reproductions of the photos using trash.  These were then photographed and put up for auction, with the proceeds going to the person in the portrait.

The documentary was inspiring on so many levels. I enjoyed the glimpse into his approach and methods. It was also moving to hear the stories of the people who work in the landfill. I highly recommend this DVD.

What art documentaries are your favorites?

Ice Dyeing

I'm a little late on the ice dyeing craze, and this may seem like a strange time to do it, but I finally made time to try it.  I read about snow dyeing several years ago and thought it sounded interesting, although not very practical for someone who lives in a warm climate.  Ice dyeing makes more sense, and summer is actually a good time, because the mess can stay outside.

The nudge to do this came when I was invited to participate in a friend's booth at the American Sewing Guild conference in August. She invited me to sell my books and DVDs and said that fat quarters would be great, too. Ice dyeing seemed the perfect way to create unique fabric for fat quarter sets.

After doing an internet search, I realize there are many variations. I chose to work with the dyes in their powdered state rather than mixing them into a liquid.  I placed a tarp on the ground outside and used a plastic grid from a commercial light fixture to raise the fabric out of the melting ice/dye. I didn't document the process, but I'm doing more later this week, so I'll take photos of my setup. At that time I'll also give more detail about the process I used.

I am pleased with the results, although I have to admit that while it was in process I was not impressed.  I had read some comments that the results are similar to what you get with low water immersion dyeing.  I found a significant difference.  The patterning is hard to describe, but it has a distinctive look. Here are my results (I used Dharma Bronze and ProChem Tobacco on all these pieces):


This is a full and detail shot of a piece of silk dobby noil (from Thai Silks). It is a wonderful fabric and it took the ice dyeing beautifully.

This is a heavy-weight cotton.  See how much difference in how the colors took?

This is silk habotai, and it was underneath the two previous fabrics to catch the dye as it dripped down. This looks like a typical low water immersion dye.

This is also cotton, and it was dry when I placed the ice cubes on top.  The other fabrics were all wet.

This piece was underneath the plastic grid to catch the drips from the previous cloth.

  

Have you tried ice and snow dyeing?  What was your experience?

Affirming

Last month I participated in an online class offered by Alyson Stanfield called Blast Off. A lot of Alyson's work is focused on marketing, but this class had more of a big picture focus.  The course was designed to give artists a jump start by working on their vision, goals, financial reality check and  continued learning. 

I got a lot out of it and it really has lit a fire under me.  Many of the lessons were very useful.  One that I particularly like was to make affirmations a part of your daily routine. I have created affirmations in the past and found them to be poweful - in helping me visualize what I want and also in keeping me focused.  I just found it hard to make them a part of my daily practice.

Alyson talked about a process of making affirmation cards so that you would have something in your hand to hold and read.  After writing out my affirmations, I decided to try it.  I used heavy (300 lb) watercolor paper and watercolor pencils.  The process of creating them was fun and I've found that holding the cards as I read them is more powerful than just reading my affirmations as a list on a piece of paper.  The cards seem to have a sense of energy that I can feel in my hands. 

I have been successful at making them a part of my daily journaling/meditation. Let's hope I can keep it up this time!

Do you use affirmations?  How have they affected your life?

The Great Print Paste Experiment

There are a lot of recipes for making print paste, the seaweed-based mixture used to thicken dyes. I have always made mine from scratch, using some combination of sodium alginate, soda ash, urea and water. I've been frustrated over the years because it seems to go bad quickly.  By "bad", I mean that it becomes thin and watery.  I'm lucky if mine lasts for a month in the refrigerator.  So how come people talk about it lasting indefinitely? 

While in New Jersey, I was discussing print paste with a friend who says that hers lasts months at room temperature. I asked how she makes it, and found that she uses the Print Paste Mix from ProChemical and Dye that includes calgon and metaphos.  Hmmm - could those other ingredients make a difference? I decided to find out.  I'm going to do a side-by-side comparison.  Today I will mix up my usual recipe and a batch of the ProChem print mix and see how long they maintain the right consistency. I plan to check them every week to see how they are holding up.  I'll report back as soon as I have the results.

How do you make your print paste, and how long does it last?

Midlife Clarity

That sounds much better than midlife crisis, doesn't it? I wish I could take credit for the term, but I borrowed it from Kenny Loggins.  I had one (midlife clarity) in my early 30s.  It was a period of re-evaluating all aspects of my life - work, relationships, spirituality, health. It was a difficult period, but I came out better for it.  And my journey has been very fulfilling.

I always thought that was it - I went through my midlife clarity early, and I was set for the rest of my life. Ha! I realized last month that I'm going through another one. (Don't worry, I won't bore you with the gory details.) I suppose it makes sense - we are continually changing, as is the world around us. We evolve and grow, and our path changes as well. It is not always comfortable, though. However, I found that just the recognition of it has helped me obtain some peace and clarity.  Before, I just felt a sense of disconnection and malaise. Now I am a bit more forgiving of myself and I am more focused on working through it. I know I can't rush it - things will all become clear in their own time.  What I can do is allow space for the discomfort and unknowing.

How have you emerged from your own midlife clarity?  

Artwork winners!

Peace Amidst Chaos

Thank you so much to all who ordered my new book, Visual Texture on Fabric. As a thank you to those who ordered the book from me before June 30, I held a drawing of some of the artwork from the book. Eight silk scarves created for the book, along with two pieces of artwork from the cover will now go to a new home. Congratulations to the following winners:

Lynne Allen - silk scarf
Rachel Edwards-Ridder - silk scarf
Diana Sanchez Harwood - silk scarf
Angela Maroun - silk scarf
Carol Mendenhall - silk scarf
Penni Redding - silk scarf
Deborah VanStratum - Peace Amidst Chaos, cover artwork
Stephanie Wilson - Bamboo Sunrise, cover artwork
Judith Winshel - silk scarf
Carol Yingst - silk scarf

As I pulled the names, most were of people I know.  I thought, "Oh, no - people will think it's rigged." But then I realized that only 30% of the orders were from people I didn't know personally.  Out of the ten winners, I know seven.  So I guess the law of probability and sampling really does work pretty well.

For those whose names weren't drawn, I'm sorry.  I wish I had enough artwork to give to all of you!

Book Giveaway

My new book is hot off the press and C&T Publishing is giving away a copy at the end of the month.  You can read a review of the book and find out how to enter on the C&T blog . Good luck to those of you who enter!

Simple Pleasures

A cool breeze on a hot summer day. A sunflower in full bloom. Watching kittens at play. These are a few of the things that have given me pleasure in the past week. I've been trying to reconnect with the  little things that bring joy into my life. It's easy to let them slip by unnoticed. I often become too wrapped up with what's going on in my head.  Thinking about all the "stuff" that's going on in my life. Getting out of that trap and noticing the world around me helps relieve my stress and brings me a sense of peace. 

What are your simple pleasures?

A Father's Legacy

My father is joyful, optimistic and loves to talk to strangers. He really loves to talk to strangers. Waiters, grocery checkers, business patrons and random strangers in the street are all regaled with his tales.  As a kid it drove me crazy. Now I just figure, if it makes him happy, great!

We did not have a close relationship when I was young.  He was a driven entrepreneur, working long hours with frequent travel. And when he was home we were most likely yelling at each other. ("Stop yelling at me, Dad!"  "I'm not yelling! I'm just trying to make my point." It's rather comical, thinking back on it.) For years, I lived too far away to see him on a regular basis.  When I moved back to Texas eight years ago, he was within driving distance, so now I am able to see him more often. We have been able to develop a relationship that wouldn't have been possible when I was young.

A few years ago I understood that he had more of an impact on who I am than I had realized. There are the similarities born of genetics  - positive outlook, goal oriented, quick-tempered.  But I think his biggest legacy to me was believing in the power of one's thoughts. He had this philosophy long before it became popular. I had a strong role model in the impact of visualization, positive self-talk and believing in oneself. He didn't explicitly teach me those beliefs, but I absorbed them nonetheless. I believe that a lot of what I have accomplished over the years is a result of that foundation I received when young.

So, thanks, Dad!  For that and everything else you've brought into my life over the years.

What legacy has your father left you?

Slowly Breaking Through

A month ago, I dedicated a week to an art retreat at home.  My husband was out of town, so it was just me and the kitties. I feel as if I haven't been very productive over the past six months.  Technically that is not true - I have created a number of pieces.  But I have gotten so used to working in a series, I feel that single, stand-alone pieces don't count. 

The retreat provided me with much needed time for walks in nature, meditation, reflection, playing with kittens . . . oh yes, and studio time.  I had a flash of insight about a series I want to work on, but the work has progressed slowly.  Since the retreat, I've felt torn between a number of ideas. I have had difficulty choosing which direction to go. Another flash of insight two days ago - it doesn't really matter which direction I go, as long as I do something!

Amazing how freeing that realization has been.  I have created two studies for larger pieces I'm entering in an exhibition later this year.  And although they didn't turn out exactly as expected, I know I'm on the right track. Each day I clarify my vision just a little bit more. Oh, and if you are wondering if I've kept my commitment to show up every day - the answer is yes.  I have spent at least several hours each day in the studio since June 1 (except one Saturday - it's ok to take one day off - or am I just rationalizing?!)

Below is a photo of one of my studies.  It is not complete, but I do like it enough to finish it.

What you you do to help you through periods of indecision and lack of inspiration? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Working with Resists - Tip #7

This week I'm winding up my resist Tuesdays series with my final tip - Have fun!  Isn't that why we create? Yes, we are expressing ourselves, adding beauty and/or meaning to the world and perhaps even healing ourselves in the process.  The time spent exploring and playing with new techniques allows us to do those things even better.

I hope that these posts over the past two months have inspired you to try working with resists. I would love to hear about your experiments. And if you are inspired to buy my book and try out the techniques, that's great, too! Please bear with me for a moment of shameless self promotion.  My book will be available next week (finally!) My shipment is on a FedEx truck at this moment, headed to San Antonio. I created eight silk scarves for the book using the different resist techniques. Anyone who orders the book from me before the end of June is automatically entered into the drawing. Below are photos of some of the scarves.

Happy Resisting!

Working with Resists - Corn Dextrin

Corn dextrin is a great all-purpose resist.  It is very versatile - you can stamp it, screen print it, stencil it, brush it.  It looks a lot like potato dextrin when mixed, however it doesn't crack once dry.  If you have tried working with cornstarch, it is similar, however I find it easier to mix. As with most resists, a heavier coating ensures a stronger resist.  Here are a few photos of cloth created with corn dextrin.

Corn dextrin works great with stencils. It is just the right consistency to spread with a scraper.

I love using the free-form "drip" approach. I guess this piece is more structured than free-form, but you get my point.

This piece reminds me of pine cones.  The dextrin was brushed through a lacy cloth. You can see the lighter areas where the brush (fully loaded with dextrin) brushed over the cloth.  And the areas with more definition when there was less dextrin on the brush.

Brayer printing deposits a lighter coating of the resist, so it has a softer effect.  This piece was brayer printed over a textured mat.

Here's another brayer print, over the ubiquitous bubble wrap. Again, a nice soft effect.

How have you used corn dextrin?

Read my tips for working with resists

Read about working with sugar syrup

Read about working with acrylic medium

Read about working with flour paste

Read about working with oatmeal

Read about working with potato dextrin

 Read about working with soy wax

Read about working with commercial resists

Show Up Every Day

While captive on an airplane recently, I read the in-flight magazine from cover to cover. It had a short interview with the author, Danielle Steel, and her quote caught my eye.  She said "if there's a formula at all to what I do, its this: [I] put my butt in my chair every single day. "  Translate that to my profession and it becomes "I put my hands on the cloth every day." Not a bad idea.  I know you've heard this from me before, but it is difficult to juggle all the aspects of my "job".  As someone who has to earn a living from her art, I have to balance income producing activities (teaching and writing) with creative activities that don't have an immediate income attached.  The studio time may lead to sales and income at some point, but there is definitely a lag between creation and sale.

I confess that I don't go into the studio every day.  As my activities on the income producing side have increased, my studio time has decreased. But for the next 6 weeks, I have no excuse.  No classes until late July. Can I actually commit to spending part of every day in the studio? I don't know, but I'm going to give it a try!

Working with Resists - Commercial Resists

I love commercial water-based resists for their ease of use. No mixing is involved - just open the bottle and pour! Jacquard, Presist and Inkodye are three of the many brands available. I was introduced to water-based resists years ago when I painted on silk.  I created detailed drawings with the resist and then painted inside the lines using silk dyes. When I transitioned to other surface design techniques, I didn't realize how versatile those resists can be. They go way beyond the traditional squeeze-on application.  Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them.

I love using my garden as inspiration and as a printing tool!  These are printings of rose leaves from my backyard.

I'm drawn to the soft, subtle effect of this piece. It was created by brushing water based resist through a mesh laundry bag.

Compressed sponges are the perfect stamping material.  They are very thin, which makes them easy to cut with scissors or a craft knife. Once they are placed under water, they swell to the thickness of a kitchen sponge.

Commercial resists are particularly suited to screenprinting.  The consistency is smooth and easily penetrates a silkscreen.  This is a thermofax image.

Back to the old familiar ways - the resist was applied with a squeeze bottle.

What are your favorite ways of applying water-based resists?

Read my tips for working with resists

Read about working with sugar syrup

Read about working with acrylic medium

Read about working with flour paste

Read about working with oatmeal

Read about working with potato dextrin

Read about working with soy wax

Read about working with commercial resists

Read about working with corn dextrin

How About Some Paw Prints With That?

Yesterday was a day filled with adventure.  What I thought would only take a few hours ended up taking all day. I was filming a short video tutorial and had a little help from my friends (aka my cats). Babs (a beautiful Russian Blue) decided that she wanted to be in the movies, and jumped onto my work table right in the middle of a set.  I shooed her away, and started over.  Then Callie, (a fluffy calico) decided she needed to sharpen her claws on the rug.  She was off screen, but was going at it very noisily. OK, let's try this one more time - third time's the charm, right?  I made it all the way through the tutorial.  Babs jumped up at the very end, but I had already finished.  Except she jumped right into the wet paint and left turquoise paw prints over all the samples on the table.  And I still needed to shoot the close-ups, so I needed those samples!!  Fortunately, a quick rinse in cold water removed the paw prints.  Good thing I love those cats!

Working with Resists - Soy Wax

For years, I was drawn to the look of batik, but I didn't want to deal with the wax removal.  When I learned that soy wax washes out with hot water, I rushed to try it. Now I keep a supply in my studio at all times. Compared to some of the other resists, it is easier to maintain the "white space" with soy wax while hand painting. It does tend to break down somewhat in an immersion dye bath, but I love the soft look that creates. Soy wax can be applied with a variety of tools or simply brushed onto the fabric. Here are some of my samples. 

See how the white background was maintained. This feature allows great possibilities for over dyeing.

Even though it is a soft wax, it will crack to create an interesting texture.

This leaf was created by applying soy wax through a stencil.  After washing out the wax, a layer of dye was hand painted on the cloth to give it a hint of color.

When layered with other resists, you can achieve much depth and complexity.

You can even use soy wax for shibori. How have you used soy wax in your work?

Read my tips on working with resists.

Read about working with sugar syrup.

Read about working with acrylic medium.

Read about working with flour paste.

Read about working with oatmeal.


Read about working with potato dextrin.