I'm experimenting with the techniques in Hand Dyed: A Modern Guide to Dyeing in Brilliant Color for You and Your Home by Anna Joyce. I feel more relaxed now that I have purchased the book and can take my time. In this first round, I've soaked cloth in a soda ash solution, then proceeded with ice dyeing, low-water resist with leaves, tie-dye with thread, and resist with clothespins, all dyed with the same moss green dye. I threw in some linen thread wound around a block at the end. It was a warm October day. A hot wind picked up here and there, reminding us that the power might be switched off at any moment as a precaution against fire.
All this in a day. Shown L to R: tie-dye, ice dye, low-water resist with leaves, resist with clothespins
As mentioned earlier, the cloth was soaked first in the soda ash solution for about 30-45 minutes.
12:12pm. After accordion-folding cloth with leaves inside, I placed it in the dye bath until it was saturated, then crammed it into the cottage cheese container (left). On the right, I placed my thread-tied cloth in the bath, letting the top stick out of the dye bath after pouring dye over it, hoping for a graduated effect.
12:25pm. This is the ice dye, below: after accordion folding the cloth into triangles, I interspersed the folds with ice, then sprinkled powdered dye on the ice and waited for it to melt.
2:16pm. Ice dye after the ice has melted, cloth still wet.
2:28pm. Ice dye, wet on the line.
2:46pm. Above, I accordion-folded the cloth, then clamped it with clothespins. I poured the dye over it, but didn't let it sit very long. Then I put it in a Ziploc bag at 2:49pm.
3:20pm. Ice dye, drying.
3:21pm. Ice dye: detail. That just happened. I didn't print any leaf or anything there. The moss green really opened up into a myriad of colors.
Earlier, 2:55pm. Linen thread wrapped around a block, floating around, wishing for a drink with a parasol in it.
3:21pm. More ice dye, drying.
3:30pm. Tie-dye, drying.
3:30pm. Tie-dye, detail, still wet.
3:40pm. Opening up the low-water resist with clothespins, still wet.
3:44pm. Resist with clothespins, drying on the line. Much lighter.
3:45pm. Detail: Clothespin resist.
3:54pm. Ice dye, dry and ironed.
3:56pm. Leaf resist, tie-dye, clothespin resist, drying
4:52pm. Tie-dye, dry and ironed.
5:02pm. Clothespin resist, dry and ironed.
Linen thread, unwound, variegated.
Next up could be raven black, maroon, or indigo. We shall see.
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