Ice Dyeing

QCAQ Member, Cathey LaBonte was a big hit at the recent Narragansett Bay Quilters' Association show in N. Kingstown, RI.

Check out the pictures, then scroll down for instructions

           

The Results!

ICE DYEING

Materials:

1. white cotton pfd fabric (prepared for dyeing), or prewashed white cotton fabric
2. Procion MX powdered dyes
3. soda ash
4. Synthrapol
5. Ice
6. containers to dye in (plastic sweater box, Styrofoam ice chest, kitty litter box, etc.)
7. rack to put inside the container to hold fabric above melted dye/ice
8. container for soda ash water
9. dust mask, gloves
10. towels to clean up
11. cup and teaspoon – dedicated to dyeing

Steps:

1. Mix 1 cup of soda ash in 1 gal of hot water
2. Soak the fabric in this solution for 20-30 minutes
3. While you are waiting, select the dye colors you will use. 3 colors is a good number to work with per piece of fabric.
4. After soaking, wring out the fabric and place on the rack inside your container. Scrunch or fan fold your fabric.
5. Place a layer of ice over the fabric. Be sure fabric is fully covered.
6. Don your facemask & gloves
7. With your gloved fingers or the teaspoon, sprinkle approx ¼ tsp of each dye over the ice. Place the dye in a more “spotty” fashion as opposed to dumping it all in one spot or scattering it evenly.
8. That’s it for now. Leave it all alone overnight or up to 24 hours. The ice will melt and create a beautiful pattern.
9. After the waiting period, rinse the fabric in warm water until the water is just about clear. Add a little synthropol to the last rinse and let the fabric sit in that solution for 10 or 15 min. Then rinse again.
10. Machine wash the fabric & iron. Beautiful!

For additional information, please refer to Quilting Arts Magazine Aug/Sept 2011 or this blog: http://www.bloombakecreate.com/2011/02/ice-dyeing/

Citra Solv

The challenge for this month was to use Citra Solv in a project.

Marcia: Silk & Citra Solv
I made 2 long wall hangings this month. The read and black one includes a little bird I transferred on to fabric using Citra Solv, the other uses a piece of shibori indigo fabric I hand dyed. Both use silks that I have been collecting for a while now.

Hope: I did not have access to a carbon printer or copy machine so I tried using Citra Solv with National Geographic magazines. I found that technique described on the internet. The result on fabric was not satisfactory. I had some pale coloring but that was all. Guess I will save it and build more surface design over the plae image.
Earlier this month I took a workshop with Jude Larzelere. This was an interesting, new technique. I made the piece with deep jewel colors and some of my Australian fabric.

Joan: Fractals
I did not do the Citra Solv project but I have been experimenting with a couple of techniques. In the yellow/orange piece, I used a piece of ice dyed fabric and quilted a central design inspired from a Dover art book on the sea. I am trying to decide if the light colored thread shows up as much as I would like.

For the blue piece, I printed a fractal (computer designed by Jared Aiden Wolf) on fabric, quilted it, then printed the same fractal on  silk organza and offset overlayed it on the quilted design. It gives it an eerie effect. I can see a person or soul in it.

Here is a second fractal, also computer designed by Jared,

Melanie: "Old Couture"
I used Citra Solv to transfer images of old dress forms on to hand dyed fabric. I then overlayed a flocked netting reminiscent of an old hat veil. I added some old lace, fabric "strings" and old buttons.

Cathey: T-shirt
I decided to decorate a t-shirt with a Citra Solv image. I made this mistake of washing the t-shirt with my husbands laundry that had been pre-treated with Citra Solv to remove some greasy stains. That caused the image to dissolve a little in the wash so I had to re-do it over the faded image.