Round Robin #2 - Laura

As fabric creators, do you think there is ever a time when we feel that the fabric is finally "Done"?  I had a piece of snow-dyed fabric that I thought needed a little more, so I mixed up some sodium alginate and water, to make a dye thickener.  Directions for this can be found on Dharma's website, if you want to try it.

Then I added some plum colored dye powder to it, and also a teaspoon or so of soda ash, to activate the dye.  You could also soak your fabric in a soda ash/water solution, and let it dry, then apply your thickened dye without the soda ash addition to it.  This option lets you work slower -- because the way I did it, once the dye is activated, you have to use it fairly quickly.

I made my own silk screens using plain wooden frames, polyester curtain fabric, a staple gun and some duct tape.  They're really easy to make, and last a long time.  (I had already painted a grid pattern on this one at some time in the past, I can't remember exactly, but I think it was done with mod podge).

Just plop some of the thickened dye paste on the screen along the top, and pull with a squeegee or credit card. 

Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn have some great youtube videos on screenprinting, I think that's what got me interested in trying this out a few years ago.

Just keep making prints across your fabric, it's really quick.

Here it is all done, before washing.

Monday I'll show you my next step!