Technique of the Week #43 – Sharpie “Tie-dye”
Project Hours: 2 hours
Design and Materials: 1 hour +
Execution: 1 hour
Over on Pinterest, there’s a million “pins” for “Tie Dyeing with Sharpie Markers”. I decided that if this could work for shirts, it could certainly work for fabric for a quilt.
I have a giant multicolor pack of Sharpies, and I stuck to the brand just in case it didn’t work with another brand of marker. Similar to the pins online, I took care to elevate the center of the piece so that the rubbing alcohol ran to the edges of the fabric piece.
In the end, I could have used more colors and gotten more coverage, but as a test piece goes, it shows that it works!
Technique of the Week #36 – Batik Wax Resist
Project Hours: 6 hours
Design and Materials: 1 hour
Execution: 5 hours
Ok. I threw in the towel on this one because I am really, really bad at this technique. I did 4 different batik designs, and this is the only one that came out remotely decent, and I still don’t care for it.
I used real batik wax that I got a year ago at one of the IQF shows. I got a melter pot just for the wax. I used a tjanting tool. I practiced. The wax was smelly and I was very patient.
I did not use PFD fabric, which may be problem #1. I did not let the wax soak into the fabric well, which was definitely problem #2. I also tried what someone recommended and very lightly ironed the back of one of the pieces (not pictured) that just ran my design into a giant puddle of wax onto the fabric. Into the trash that one went. (Note:I normally never condone throwing attempts into the garbage… sometimes you can save a bad piece, but these could not be saved, they were that bad)
I used Setacolor paints instead of dyes, but I don’t think that was any issue here. You can see that it ran underneath my batik lines, so that would have happened either way.
I am NOT good at batiking. I really suck at it. So, you know, I guess it’s good to know that right?
Right after I chucked (literally) 3 of the other pieces in the garbage, I signed up for a Soy Wax Class at CREATE, which is coming here to Chicago in August. I hope to be a LOT better with soy wax than this crazy wax I have.
Technique of the week #34- Mokume Shibori
Project Hours: 10 hours
Design and Materials: 1 hour
Execution: 9 hours
This is my dye project for “…And then We Set it on Fire”, a technique group I am part of for this year and which you can follow along on our blog. I have put up more about how I did this technique there. Go check it out!
I had the Quilting Arts Dec 2009/Jan 2010 issue out for this technique because I had the pleasure of meeting Enid at the Houston Quilt Festival. In this issue was the last technique and this one. Both fairly easy to do.
Technique of the Week #33- Water Soluble Printing
Project Hours: 3 hours
Design and Materials: 1 hour
Execution: 2 hours
This technique is by Susie Monday, and her directions are in the Dec 2009/Jan 2010 (last year’s) Quilting Arts issue. I also watched her Quilting Arts TV segment this week and was inspired to do this.
My drawing was made on some thin cotton that I stretched into a hoop to use as a screen of sorts. I used Caran D’Ache Neocolor II water soluble crayons I got from the art supply store. I drew this Octo very heavily and then slathered on a mix of matte medium and GAC 900 which is a fabric medium by Golden Acrylics.
The first screen is always the crappy one, but this one that I quilted was screen #2 that I pulled. The medium mixed some of the colors but I liked that. This did have a little bit of a stiff hand because of the matte medium, but it was a fun technique that I will try again.
Technique of the Week #32 – Electroluminescent Wire
Project Hours: 5 hours
Design and Materials: 1 hour
Execution: 4 hours
To say that I love the electronic convergence of tech and textile is an understatement. I don’t just love it, I LURVE it. Love love love it.
So when I saw fashion students using electroluminescent wire in garments, I just HAD to try it. EL Wire is readily available on the internet, and if you saw my little video with Pokey Bolton, you know I found some by typing it into the almighty Google machine to locate some.
That piece was in my gallery show and some other places, but it was really my trial piece. I didn’t know what to do with it, how to get it to stay in shape, etc. i have perfected it now, and while I can’t give away all my secrets (yet) on how to do it, I know you’re all smart folks and can come up with some amazing designs of your own.
Sticking with my octo theme for the year, this little bugger is done with 3 feet of El Wire, and it’s an 8 inch piece. Almost all of the time was spent on shaping and sewing down the wire. It’s a flexible tube, not unlike your iPod cord. So take a look at that cord and imagine bending it into tight corners, etc and you will see the dilemma here.
But, oh, when it’s done, it sure looks pretty all lit up. The swirled background gives him an eye in shadow when he’s lit up.