The other day I posted about using dyes with stencils to see how the dye would react. I did one segment with thickened dye, and the other with dye that was regular consistency. The regular dye bled a little, but the slightly thickened did not. Later, I decided to paint regular consistency dye over the stenciled area to see how that would react. And since there was some unused area on the fabric I was testing on, I added another test: using Elmer's blue school gel glue, but instead of applying with the bottle tip, I poured some in a plastic pan. One part of the experiment was to use a thick cardboard tube to stamp on the glue, then on another section, I used a foam brush to apply some of the glue as a resist. In both cases, it was a little difficult to get a clear application of the glue. Since it is very sticky, it didn't transfer too well. Once it dried, I brushed dye over the area, at the same time I overdyed the stenciled area. Here are some pictures of the results:
This is the area that I stenciled with thickened dye. I was surprised that it seemed to bleed after I applied the overdye of blue. What really amazes me is how it now has a three-dimensional appearance! No idea if I can replicate that, but I'm game to try!
This is the area stenciled with un-thickened dyes. The three-dimensional quality is not present here... another 'huh?'! Good to know.
Finally, here is the section where I experimented with stamping and painting on the gel glue. This was an attempt to mimic soy wax as a dye resist, and the results aren't as good as if I had applied it with the glue bottle; however, it still has possibilities. If the effect I'm trying for is muted, light/dark as opposed to stark markings, then it could be useful. But overall, I don't think I will be using this application much. So back to the stencils and let's see what else I can do with them!
