Transfer Dye

I recently attended a workshop run by Cas Holmes, at the Ballarat Fibre Arts event.
The first thing we experimented with was transfer dyeing. I had done a very small amount while studying my Studio Textiles and Design course but had not done any for years.

The idea is that you paint your dye onto paper and then iron it onto your fabric. It works best with synthetic fabrics.

Today, two friends and I had a play with it again. We were trying to work out what papers work best and what fabrics work well.

I purchased my dyes from Kraft Kolour and they were delivered very promptly!

I'm not sure we have discovered a lot but we had a very pleasant day.

One thing that one of us discovered is that you can transfer the dye from paper to paper - much more her thing. She is more interested in paper art now, rather than textile art.

Different papers soak up the dyes differently and some seem to retain the dye more than others. Different fabrics take up the dyes differently. It seems that we need to do a lot more experimenting before we know much!

Experimenting with different resists and layers of fabric, to see if the dye would go through.  We had drop cloths to catch any dyes that soaked through. No many did, as you had to wait till the dye was dry before ironing it onto the fabric. But some of the thinner fabrics did let the colour go all the way through.

 The dyes looked much darker on the papers!

 It even worked on some felt that one of us brought along. 

 This too is felt. 

These two images show the dye painted onto some pianola roll paper and then ironed onto the fabric. As I have said, the colour comes out very differently on the fabric. It will take a lot more experience with the process to be able to accurately predict results.

One thing we did learn at the workshop is to keep the papers, they can be used in the mixed media piece that you might eventually make.

Not Up to Much

No wonder I haven't been feeling all that creative today!

 This was taken at Clifton Hill, only 6 or 7 kilometres from the city.
Smoke Haze. And autumn weather. You could barely see the city. It has been like this for several days.

However, I have been trying to be a little bit productive.
I attended our Play Day at the EGV last Tuesday and we made little felt vessels. This one is mostly hand sewn, I just sewed on an extra layer of felt to give it some structure, using the sewing machine. I have no idea what I will do with it but it was relaxing to make.

I am also plugging away on my tapestry, not getting much done but trying. I have reached the part where the actual acorn is in the image, so I will have to not be so random in what I am choosing to do. So far I have been doing the ground around where the acorn fell and it is very non-pictorial. But I will have to be a bit more careful with the actual image.

It is almost time for me to have made my next A3 Inspired by Van Gogh piece too. I have not even finalised an image to use, let alone think about how I might do it. This weather is very enervating!

I do have some ideas, based on his picture of a seat in the asylum grounds. I have been taking photos of seats while out walking with Penny, our dog. They are not all that interesting but I hope to come up with something - soon.

Lots of lovely long shadows on these autumn afternoons.