I had some cloth leftover from my Turbulent Travels quilt, and I had a jar of Jacquard deColourant that I have been wanting to try. Here's the first experiment. The deColourant has the consistency of heavy cream.
Tools and Materials: dyed cloth; Jacquard deColourant; stencil (handmade or not. I cut one from frosted Mylar); small flat-bottomed stencil brush; iron; spray bottle
I cut a small patterned stencil, and used the brush to apply the deColourant to the cloth. You want the brush wet, but not oversaturated, so wipe it on the edge of the jar after you dip in. Stencil brushes load up well over time and cover a nice patch with one dipping. I did not detect a smell at first, but later, it became more apparent, so I opened the door wider and turned on the fan. Use in a well-ventilated area. Outside is good. Immediately after application, the medium is semi-invisible. In this photo I put it in the sun to dry and the pattern started showing up.
After drying in the sun.
Iron on the highest setting for your cloth to set the pattern. This is cotton, so very high, and spritz with the spray bottle for even better results. When ironing, you MUST have super good ventilation. The ammonia smell is quite strong when the stuff is heated. I ironed the back first, with some paper under it in case there was any transfer.
All this in a few minutes! The directions say to wash with mild soap to soften the texture, but I couldn't really feel it. However, the cloth continued to smell, so I washed it in the sink with a little Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap (dilute! dilute!), and it is odor free now. Woolite, Sythrapol, or any other mild soap would work.
Next time I will mark the cloth with tape or washable pencil so I can space the pattern evenly.
Textile addicts, beware! This is instant gratification. You could use it on tablecloths, pieces of worn cotton cloths to make patches, so many possibilites! It also would be great for homemade book cloth and work well with letterforms. Letter stencils. Uh oh.
Tools and Materials: dyed cloth; Jacquard deColourant; stencil (handmade or not. I cut one from frosted Mylar); small flat-bottomed stencil brush; iron; spray bottle
I cut a small patterned stencil, and used the brush to apply the deColourant to the cloth. You want the brush wet, but not oversaturated, so wipe it on the edge of the jar after you dip in. Stencil brushes load up well over time and cover a nice patch with one dipping. I did not detect a smell at first, but later, it became more apparent, so I opened the door wider and turned on the fan. Use in a well-ventilated area. Outside is good. Immediately after application, the medium is semi-invisible. In this photo I put it in the sun to dry and the pattern started showing up.
After drying in the sun.
Iron on the highest setting for your cloth to set the pattern. This is cotton, so very high, and spritz with the spray bottle for even better results. When ironing, you MUST have super good ventilation. The ammonia smell is quite strong when the stuff is heated. I ironed the back first, with some paper under it in case there was any transfer.
All this in a few minutes! The directions say to wash with mild soap to soften the texture, but I couldn't really feel it. However, the cloth continued to smell, so I washed it in the sink with a little Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap (dilute! dilute!), and it is odor free now. Woolite, Sythrapol, or any other mild soap would work.
Next time I will mark the cloth with tape or washable pencil so I can space the pattern evenly.
Textile addicts, beware! This is instant gratification. You could use it on tablecloths, pieces of worn cotton cloths to make patches, so many possibilites! It also would be great for homemade book cloth and work well with letterforms. Letter stencils. Uh oh.
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