Carol R. Eaton Designs

Carol R. Eaton Designs

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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Combining Techniques = Confetti and Ice Dyed Fabric

I love creating textured fabric and the confetti dye technique lends itself perfectly to this effect. Incorporating ice dyeing in the next step adds a depth to the piece that I find really unique. 

I began by making gentle vertical folds in damp fabric. Don't forget to soak the fabric in soda ash and water for at least 30 minutes before you start! Next shake dye across the surface of the fabric with a strainer, (I used black). I like to go back and spray the fabric with soda ash and water just to get the dye to meander more deeply into the folds of the fabric. Once dry I rinsed and washed as usual and then tossed it back into the bucket of soda ash and water to prep for the ice dye bath. I could have stopped here because the fabric had the suggestion of birch trees but I decided to go for the ice bath! 


After 30 minutes I wrung out the excess water and scrunched the fabric into a bucket. I  covered the surface with ice. Next I sprinkled dye powder over the ice, (I used brown). This step requires more patience because you need to allow time for the ice to melt. Once that happens you can rinse and wash your fabric to get rid of the excess dye... viola! 

Try this combination of techniques with any color palette that appeals to you - the textures are wild! 


NOTE: ALWAYS WEAR A MASK WHEN WORKING WITH DYE POWDER! 

1 comment:

  1. Very dramatic effects! Hoping I might see some more on Thursday!

    ReplyDelete