My new work-shirts – bring on the creative vibes.
Logwood and Eco Dyed Shirt
Logwood and Eco Dyed Shirt
Pale Logwood and Eco Dyed Shirt
Pale Logwood and Eco Dyed Shirt
Logwood Shibori Dyed Shirt
Logwood Shibori Dyed Shirt
Ooo the anticipation. I do hope I am not disappointed ….
Wrapped Dye Bundles
Spent a fantastic morning with Jenny Leslie improving my Eco Dyeing techniques. Jenny was extremely helpful and had lots of advice (some of it direct from her course with India Flint – sooo jealous).
The anticipation during unwrapping is great!
Unwrapping the bundles
More unwrapping
Anyway here are the initial results – not yet washed out so hope they don’t fade too much – very happy with them, although may need to re-dye to turquoise scarf for more contrast/colour.
Cotton with copper mordant and Eucalypus overdyed
Cotton with milk mordant and Blackberry Leaves
Dyed scarf with Blackberry Leaf overdyed
Silk scarf with ornamental eucalyptus
An in-progress reverse applique from my studies at Luton Hoo Walled Garden.
You can view the results at my shows during the Bedfordshire Arts Trail and Hertfordshire Open Studios, during September.
I look forward to seeing you.
Itajime uses clamps to form a resist – I used pegs and bulldog type clips but you can also use string; flat pieces of plastic or found objects.
Itajime using pegs
Itajime with pegs
Itajime with bulldog type clips
Itajime with bulldog type clips
This piece has less colour as only a small portion remained on the surface and in direct contact with the dye.
Scrunched and held in place with string
When folding it is important to expose as many edges to the dye as possible – so don’t fold the sections back on themselves, enclosing sections in the centre of the bundle. Instead use a concertina method, pleating each section on top of the other so that the edges remain exposed.
Getting some lovely patterns and I really enjoy the fact that I do not have complete control and so there are lots of surprises and no two designs are the same.
These are dyed with Brazilwood or Onion skins.
Concertina Folding
Concertina Folded Resist
Concertina folding
Triangular Folds
Triangular folding
Triangular Folded Resists
Karamatsu – is a circular design created by using stitch as a resist. I also used stitch to create concertina folds and a leaf pattern. As you can see my skill with this technique still needs some work. However, happy accidents can still produce interesting patterns. This piece was dyed with blackberries.
Karamatsu
Arashi or pole wrapping involves wrapping the fabric around a stick, bottle or similar object, using elastic bands to hold in place and squashing the ends together to create tight pleats. Sometimes this can result in undyed areas but in this case I have achieved different intensities of dye, depending on how near the surface/close contact with the dye the fabric lay. Blueberries were used in this dye bath.
Arashi
Here are my first experiments with household chemicals as a discharge paste. On my first piece I thought it hadn’t worked, so went out and left it on the fabric – on my return it had certainly removed the colour but had also started to eat into the material!
These samples are scrunch dyed using Indigo and then printed with leaves, coated with the ‘discharge paste’. I am very pleased with these initial results and keen to move onto to larger pieces of fabric and preloved clothing – whoo hoo!
PS Arts’, Datchworth, project to reproduce a giant sized replica of Katharina Kubrick’s Maria’s Vase is progressing well. Throughout June 30 local artists will be completing one section of the artwork in their own style and media, £10 raffle tickets will be sold with the winner receiving the completed masterpiece.
Today Hazel and I were producing our sections (top corners) whilst the local Brownies were making and selling sunflowers and we had a steady flow of interested visitors. Suspect they were attracted by Sarah’s delicious Lemon Drizzle Cake as much as by the art.Visitors were also able to see other work by the artists involved in the project
Work in Progress
Here is my piece added to the work in progress – it is a reverse applique made from naturally dyed, layered cottons. I can’t wait to see it in pride of place in the top right corner of the finished picture – all will be revealed next Sunday.
Whoo hoo – my first indigo dye session. Lots of reluctance for the pot to turn yellowy green and blue paler than expected but some pleasing initial results.
Now for Shibori and over-dyeing – lots more to explore!
Indigo dyeing
More Indigo
Summer Blues
Lovely tone changes
Joanne Shewan Textiles 
