Sprinkle Dyeing and Sun Printing Results

Here are my results from a day out in the sun sprinkle dyeing and sun printing.

This fabric had previously been dyed and still needed work.

I sprinkled on a mixed dye. It is interesting to see how the blue migrated further than the red before the damp fabric dried out. The red blob in the bottom is where I sprayed the fabric with water during the drying process.

This dye is made up of many different colours and is sold as black.

Sprinkle dyeing produces a distinctive look that is easily identified when used in a work.

Here are my sprinkle dye results washed and ironed. Admittedly some of the fabrics began as pre-dyed uglies but in most cases sprinkle dyeing has not improved them any. They are still ugly but I may find areas I need that I can cut out. That is the only reason why they will go back into my stash.

My sun printing results were much more promising.

In this sample, I used woven twig place mats and glass stones as resists.

The other samples were produced by twisting painted fabric into knots. The top right sampIe I added a spritz of water to after it was knotted.

So mixed results after a fun day out in the sun with friends.

More Stages in Hand Block Resist Dying

Stage 5 -Washing removes the printing gums.

Stage 6 - The textile is immersed in a hot alizarin bath for 1 hour to devlop the 2 shades of red.

Stage 7 - Mud-resist paste (clay-earth & gum) is applied with blocks to mask out areas of the design to remain red or white. Sprinkled with sawdust to aid drying.

Stage 8 - Immersed into indigo vat, then spread out in sun to allow blue colour to develop on all unprotected areas.

Block Printing, India

The fabric,

the blocks,

printing with gum arabic.