Scrap4Art in Toledo Fundraiser Contribution
It has been quite the juggling of projects to get back on a roll with my artwork and finishing those promised while my studio was being set up, HVAC and lights installed. I cannot believe that I committed to so many projects without knowing exactly when everything would be ready to be productive. With my studio ready for work, I completed my first three pieces in the past ten days (All while very sick!). I made this garment for Scrap4Art of Toledo's annual fundraiser.
Roberta Morgan, one of the members of the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild, had given a demo on dyeing white silk with old 100% silk ties to make scarves. Well, I am not into scarves at all due to having learned at a tender young age of Isadora Duncan's cause of death. But I loved the technique that Roberta showed and I had done a similar technique of transferring the dye from silk ties onto eggs for Easter a few years ago.
I wanted to make the design subtle if possible so I decided to dye the white silk fabric first (just in case it took too much color or not enough color from the ties) with wide swaths of light colors so that there would be no white visible. In this technique it is almost impossible to know what the result will be.
I decided I was going to make it work in some manner regardless of how well the dyeing worked. If all else failed, I would make the dreaded scarves from any fabric that took the tie dye well. I learned that not all ties that are marked All Silk are 100% silk. I thought that three ties that were marked All Silk felt like polyester or something similar and they did not feel or look like all silk. Just as I suspected, they did not transfer any color to the silk. All the ties that were marked 100% silk transferred color beautifully. All of the ties that were really old and 100% silk worked the best with transferring color. I suspect that the older ties did not have as much sizing or finishes on the fabrics. Maybe the finishes on the old ties had worn off with time allowing the dyes to transfer easily.
So much for my first completed project! Tomorrow I will post my next two completed pieces.
Labels: fundraising, Scrap 4 Art, silk dye
posted by Jeanne Rhea @ 10/07/2011 07:48:00 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
Jeanne! That is beautiful! Anyone would love to have it! Great job!
Jeanne, it is GORGEOUS! ...thanks for the background info -- I was wondering if you had used solid color ties to get the solid colors on the sleeves :-? I am sure the winner will be thrilled -- I would LOVE it!
Thanks, Pat and Penny!
Penny, I decided that since there is little chance that the designs would all transfer evenly and as I expected, I wanted to minimize the major flaws should there be some. So I used mainly light melon colors---watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew. When I applied the cantaloupe next to watermelon, it turned salmon colored in areas and the honeydew became muted and not so limey looking. At first I got it too dark and was afraid it would not show the tie colors. I quickly rinsed it well before applying the ties. It turned out that I learned something. The muslin (or the fabric used to wrap the silk and ties) matters in the dye that transfers to the silk as well. I used one type of fabric on the back and one on the front and the front took the dye much, much better. I had used a really old pillow case for the front portion of the piece as the wrap piece. The back piece that was used for the wrap ended up taking the tie's dye better than the silk! But it is perfect anyway! ;D Actually no one would really know. That is why I decided to leave the sleeves without the tie patterns on them.
Oh My Goodness!!!! What a magnificent piece of art! Jeanne, you are a supper artist! It is beautiful, and I Love it!
Thank you, Rita! I really love making things to give away! If I won the lottery, I would still make things every day and probably give everything away.
Jeanne, this ROCKS! You are so amazingly talented !
Viv
Thank you, Viv!
It's beautiful, Jeanne! It has an Asian feeling to it, I suppose because it's a kimono style, but there's something about the way the colors and patterns work which reminds me of old Japanese kimonos.
Thank you, Michelle. The sleeves are definitely kimono-like. I wanted to put some detail on the shoulders so made some pleats to add more fullness so more people could wear it. Every time I sew a bit, I start thinking that I should do a lot more. I just need more hours in the day!
This really is beautiful!! I can see why you won an award for it. All of your artwork is so interesting. I enjoy viewing it and hope to see some 'in person' again, someday. Maybe next year at this time we will be relocated and I will be traveling. :) You rock the art world! Congratulations
Thanks, Kathy! You are so kind to praise me so highly! ;) You know what I mean! Thank you.
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