Rust dyeing

During a break from quilting to order, I've played around with something a little more personal instead. I've been meaning to do some rust dyeing for ages, after all, it doesn't require much in the way of equipment, it's easy and safe, and can be done on any scale*. Simply fold, wrap, sew or twist your fabric around bits of metal (old keys, paper clips, screws–virtually everything works), put them in a bowl filled 50/50 with water and vinegar–and wait…

A solution of water and red wine vinegar,
plus a bundle of cloth and screws.

After several hours, I removed the bundle, then left it in the air to dry for the oxidization process to take place. Much to my delight, and Patrick's consternation (he told me the screws wouldn't rust as they were stainless steel) my piece of plain white linen was transformed in to a patterned fabric.

Stainless steel will rust!

I like the almost Shibori effect, which was achieved by wrapping wire and string around the screws. And since I don't really have the facilities, or space at home, to do indigo dyeing, rust dyeing may well satisfy my need to personalise cloth before it is sewn into, until I find another local indigo dyeing workshop. I'm going to play around with other acidic solutions, maybe by using white vinegar or lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar, it would also be interesting to see how the technique works on different fabrics such as silk or netting. Substituting steel or iron for copper could also be interesting–perhaps the result would be a verdigris effect?

A little bit of shisha work
to brighten the fabric. 

I love this impression left by a screw head.

I've added a few shisha mirrors, for a bit of sparkle. I hope that by embroidering around them with white threads, this piece might just find its way into my white quilt, if not, I'm sure I'll find a use for it elsewhere.

Elizabeth,
x.

* I think this would be a perfect way to keep kids entertained during the holidays, there are no dangerous chemicals, it's fun, and best of all they see science taking place before their very eyes!

Into the Blue

Everything is blue, my Dorset buttons, some once brightly coloured little pegs. Even my fingers, and it's not just because it's so cold outside. Rather, it's because I've been on an indigo dyeing course, and unbeknown to me, there was a small hole in one of my rubber gloves.

The course was run by my old patchwork & quilting tutor, and it did not disappoint, although at times, it felt as if I had been transported back to school chemistry lessons. (It came as quite a surprise to discover that I'd be dealing with chemicals such as Caustic soda and Sodium Hydrosulphite!).

Of course, it is possible to indigo dye at home, but you do need decent facilities – preferably a dedicated utility area, with a large sink to rinse out the the excess dye, drying areas, and somewhere to store and mix the chemicals, but who really has that much spare space? Certainly not me, so a fully equipped art studio was the ideal environment to start, even though the real skill is in how artfully you twist, fold and tie the fabric, which can be done pretty much anywhere and then taken along to class.

My attempts at Shibori (twisting, stitching, folding, compressing and tying fabric) were mixed, but then I am a beginner. The patterns in the above three pictures were achieved by twisting silks and linens then  either stitching them into place, or binding them with jewellery wire. In some cases, beads were inserted in between the twists to create another barrier (or resist) to the dye.

The above image proves that more effort doesn't necessarily produce better results. I spent hours wrapping cocktail sticks in pieces of knotted string, thinking It would give me a repeated twiglet like pattern. Instead, all I got is this drippy, mottled sludge!

My attempts at folding fabric and placing objects between the layers to produce interesting effects, needs work too. You can – just about – see the impression of some Dorset buttons, in the above pic, but I really should have left the fabric to dry completely, and settle into crisp, sharp lines but impatience got the better of me. (When I look at this fabric, I can't help but think of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in their matching stone wash denim heyday).

Now, I just have to do something with my indigo dyed fabrics, but part of me is reluctant to cut into them, as even the less successful ones, feel so precious to me. I have a large patchwork cushion in mind. I'd like it to feature raw edges (almost as if you're looking at the reverse of the patchwork in places) and then build up layers of fabric in other areas. I also want to include Kantha stitching (or some very simple Shashiko, if I'm feeling brave) but perhaps I'm letting my ambition and imagination run away with me! This one definitely needs more thinking about before I pick up my rotary cutter.

Elizabeth,
x.

PS: I'm linking up with Nat at Made in Home, why not join in?