Sunday, July 31, 2011

More Funky dyeing

So... after I did the shirts shown in my last post, I took things a step further. First I dyed some shirts in the same fashion, but then I overdyed in black to create a neon-looking affect. Here is one of the first shirts:


This is a scrunch on top of a scrunch, and I got the beginnings of the look I was trying for. But I was inspired to take it a step further. I scrunch dyed a poncho and a sarong, both fringed rayon... first scrunched with the bright colors I used before. Then, after washing and re-soda soaking, I created a little more of a folded look. On the Poncho, I did a loose swirl, and on the sarong, I did an irregular zigzag accordion fold. Then, after putting them into a plastic bin, I applied the black dye by pouring over them from a measuring cup. Here they are:




Needless to say, I'm hooked... got 4 more in the washer now, and can't wait to see them and start the process all over again! I need to order lots more black dye! It takes 4 times as much black dye powder as the average dye in order to get a deep shade. But I definitely think it's worth it! I've always admired Carter Smith's work, but wanted to be able to get the same kind of dramatic look on cotton that he gets on silk. And I have tried discharge dyeing, where you start with black, create a fold design, apply bleach then overdye with color. I haven't been satisfied with the colors, and I'm concerned about the fabric being damaged by the bleach bath, even if I use a neutralizer afterward. So my current method is the best one I have found so far to achieve that "Glow in the dark" effect. I'll post pix of the next batch soon.

2 comments:

Cate Rose said...

The new pieces are REALLY awesome, Judy!

Chris Daly said...

Love your results in this post and the last. I've been wanting to try the black overdye on a dress I need to dye for a friend.