Hand-Dyed Fabric Day
Hard at work – It is the season for garden ‘hand dye days!’
I spent today outdoors having fun in a friend’s garden – not gardening, not just admiring her wonderful magical space, but playing with hand dyeing fabrics. We use soy resist, ice dyeing, sun printing and a variety of other dye techniques.
I’ve washed my hand-dyed fabric pieces since coming home and have a pleasing assortment to work with. I have a good batik-like resist that I hope to further develop with paint and inks, a number of great ‘sky’ pieces and one lovely black and white from a different type of fabric – all coming from the same dye solution! The black must have had a blue base as most of my pieces became a lovely faded denim colour when washed. My sun-print has some potential and the ice-cube piece is a lovely turquoise with hints of green – not what I expected but lovely. One piece I have yet to see. It went home with a friend who sprinkled the dye directly on the fabric and then layered my piece with hers. I can’t wait to see it!
My pieces after washing. A lot of fade but some great ‘stormy sky’ pieces.
The best part of all is the fun of getting together with friends to play! Don’t you love the colours just out of the dye bath?
The Dyers with some of the fabrics fresh from the dye bath