Carol R. Eaton Designs

Carol R. Eaton Designs

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Monday, March 4, 2013

Snow Dyeing with Found Objects!

I'm now in a panic as the temperatures start to reach the 40's  because the snow banks are getting smaller. I need to utilize the snow while it's here to have a big 'ole stash of snow dyed fabrics to get me through the warmer seasons!

I had some questions from my last post on exactly what a whiffle ball is! The best way to describe it is a plastic ball with open slots that allows the air to rush through when it's hit or thrown. It comes with a whiffle bat which is also made of plastic and can be played in a small space. My boys had a bunch laying around from days gone by and dyeing gives them new life! I should contact the company to tell them what wacky thing is going on with their product!




 In a quest for unusual dyeing practices I looked around for other found objects to dye with and came up with some winners! I used three or four unusual objects and will post the results over the next few days.

First up are thin bottles more typically used with a tip
to squeeze or squirt dye onto fabric!


The fabric was pre-soaked in a soda ash and water solution before
tying off the bottles with rubber bands.
 

Next I found a pail that would accommodate the height of the bottles
and still hold the snow.   
 
 
 I covered the bottles with fresh snow and sprinkled dye powder across the surface. I let the pail sit for 24 hours before rinsing and washing the fabric.
 
 
Here are the results!
An interesting mix of colors for sure - now that I have a better understanding for how the bottles and snow react I'll try it again with different color combinations!
 
 
Detail
 

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the info about the wiffle balls! And I love this piece that you did with the squeeze bottles... fabulous markings!

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    1. Thanks - although I bow to you as the master of the tie dyed look!

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  2. And for your next trick... Love these results too!!!

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    1. There should either be more hours in a day or more days in a weekend...

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  3. I love the fabric you dyed with the bottles - we don't always get snow in the winter in England but I'll be sure to try this next time we do!!

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    1. You could try substituting ice cubes for the snow... I was going to give that a try when I run out of snow! Let me know if you give it a try!

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  4. OK...this is absolutely wonderful!! I so love your experiments...and glad to adopt some of them!! Seeing as how my studio motto is: "I wonder what would happen if..." this fits right in. Oh and with 8-10 inches of new white stuff by this afternoon...I think I'll have plenty of snow for some time to come! And now you have me thinking - nothing in my studio is now safe from being wrapped up for snow dyeing!!

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    1. Fresh snow... think of the possibilities! I checked out your blog and see you too have a passion for snow dyeing! Have you found a difference in the texture of snow? The fresh snow seemed to have a different result than the "corn" snow or the snow with more ice in it... just curious! I look forward to your new pieces :)

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  5. Wow! These are really beautiful! With all the snow we had I didn't do ANY snow dyeing this year. Shame on me!

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  6. There might be one more chance given the weather forcast this week.... could be fun!!

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  7. Replies
    1. Thanks - it so fun and gives me an excuse to play in the snow!

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