Update on the dye test

Well, I got interested in the design of the piece I posted below where I was testing dyes, and decided to play around a little. I used soy wax batik to create barriers to block the red and brown dyes I used on the next step. I don't think I'm done with this piece yet, but here's where it's at now:

I'm still seeing trees on a lake, but now I have a fiery sunset in the background and foliage in the foreground. Next step will be to wax off the sky and lake, and overdye the trees with green. Fun!

New project

I have been a busy bee lately, and haven't really had anything to show for it here, but today I finally got started on a commission quilt I have been designing for awhile. I am dye-painting it, and wanted to test the dyes first, so I used a piece of muslin previously soaked in soda ash solution and dried. I wanted to see how the colors would look together, so I brushed on the blues and used a sea-sponge to dab on the sand color. Now I'm hooked!


The next picture is of the actual quilt in progress. I used soy wax to create waves in the water, outline the clouds and palm fronds, and wax-outlined the area where I will be putting the figure of a child... didn't want the water to show through. I will be fusing the child, her bucket and a sand castle after dyeing the rest of the background.

I have a couple of areas I need to clean up where the dye got into the beach area, but I don't think that will be too much of a problem. This is the first time I have tried regular batik, and I love the way the dyes travel along the areas that aren't waxed! Actually, I really love the way the dyes travelled on the un-waxed piece as well, and can't wait to do some more experimenting with both methods... life as a 'retiree' is good so far!