I’m beginning to realize that dyeing fabric is an endless process of learning. Although I can now predict much better what my results might be, I still miss the mark pretty routinely. And, of course, I’m still trying new things, so I can always count on surprises with that.
But it sure is a heck of a lot of fun. In part for these very reasons. The unpredictability is exciting. Case in point:
I was pretty happy with this print, seen here wet.
I should have remembered that the colors would be MUCH paler once dry. Indeed that was the case and I dyed it again with stronger versions of the same colors. I also covered a little more of the white with that second round.
And, it still wasn’t dark enough so I repeated the process. This time, however, I wasn’t disciplined enough to leave the white alone. So, t his is what I got.
The colors are strong, which is what I wanted, but it would definitely be more usable if I had left some white. Maybe I’ll stamp some on.
Next, I tried using clear thickened paste as a resist.
It actually worked pretty well. This is the back, shown below. The pattern shows up better than on the front, but I’m not sure how pretty it is. I think I’ll aim for a more delicate design next time.
Still learning. And loving it.
Ellen Lindner