Over dyeing an existing garment

I often get asked to over-dye existing garments. I am always very hesitant about this because (a) the fabric content has to be determined, (b) the sewing thread will usually be a synthetic and not over-dye, (c) folds, tucks, add-ons will act as resists, (d) existing stains or fading will not be removed by the over-dyeing process and (e) the original colour will affect any new dye application.
Last week I did accept a silk top and skirt as this did seem a possibility. It had no top-stitching other than the buttonholes, and the applied flowerlets could be removed before dyeing.
The original lime green colour would obviously have an influence on any over-dyeing. My client was relaxed about the new colour and my thoughts were to over-dye it with a purple as this could result in a rather nice aubergine.
Now my purple dye always turns white silk into a cerise. Sometime ago I discovered that a mixture of navy and turquoise, surprisingly, produces a purple on white silk. Purple and green do make a nice aubergine (are you with me so far?). The result however was the darker green. This was not unpleasant at all. I had removed the lime green flowerlets from the top before dyeing and once stitched back, helped to justify the lime green buttonhole stitching. My client will probably change the buttons to something more sympathetic to the new colour.
My third photo today is of one of my WholeCloth Banners which has been accepted into Changing Threads, an exhibition of contemporary fibre and textile art at The Refinery Artspace, Nelson, 14 February to 7 March. This exhibition is organised by the Arts Council Nelson.

The original colour of the silk top and skirt, flowerlets removed at this stage

Flowerlets stitched back on; all done!

NESTING 131cm x 99cm; Silk/linen blend; Procion MX dyes and pigments; dye painting, over-dye, discharge

Next Blog: Silk Spandex length

Silk length to match skirt

It is often said that things come in threes. Well, in the case of my being requested to dye fabric for people, this is definitely a proven fact. Last week it was the silk georgette for bridesmaids. This week it was fabric to match a purchased silk skirt that was difficult to match with a top; and next week will be overdyeing an existing garment.
For this week's fabric blended colours had been decided. I bunched the fabric, poured over orange, blue and purple dyes all laced with the appropriate fixing chemicals, and left it overnight. Next day I felt the resulting colours were too strong, so reduced their depth of colour with discharge. This always produces a more subtle blend of colours and usually some nice surprises.
I then decided to add a repeat motif of dots to tone with the skirt. The fabric was laid out on my printing table and I used my 'no frills' plumb line to centre the repeats. My plumb line consists of two river stones each in plastic bags tied to the ends of a long piece of string. This drapes over the table and tensions itself. I have two plumb lines and together they work well to line up patterns.
I wanted to space the dots 20cm apart and gauged this with a strip of paper. The registrations were marked with small pieces of stick-on paper. I then eye-balled each dot into the space between the paper markings.
The fabric was then cold-batched and washed.

Fabric bunched, saturated with dye, and left to cold batch

Cold batched piece washed, discharged and washed again

Plumb lines, paper gauge and stick-on papers

Dots painted inbetween stick-on papers

The completed fabric next to the skirt

Next Blog: Over-dyeing an existing garment

Shades of Grey

I often get requests to dye fabric as the colours required are simply not available elsewhere. Recently I was given 10 metres of white silk georgette to dye for three bridesmaids. It was to have a shiny dark silver silk fabric underneath and needed to tone. This shiny dark silver fabric was also to be used as a band, on top, under the bust line and tying at the back.
Another dyer had attempted this, had achieved a perfect sample, but failed to repeat this on the larger piece. I fully sympathised with this as there is always a big leap between a smaller sample and the larger requirement; and working with a black dye (in lesser amounts this produces silver/grey) is not always easy. I therefore had a double challenge.
I have two black dyes, one which favours brown, the other favours red. I decided on the brown and dyed half a metre accordingly, recording all measurements, volumes and times. As suspected it came out too brown. The colour needed to go more 'black' but the problem I faced was how to make black more black, there being nothing darker than black. I went for a walk.
On my return I dyed another sample replacing some of the black with a navy dye. To my delight, this seemed to do the trick and my client was satisfied.
I then dyed the 10 metres. Despite checking and re-checking my calculations this did dye darker than my original sample but otherwise was perfect. Fortunately all parties involved agreed that the end result would be very elegant and I am looking forward to receiving a photo of the bridal party.

Here are the first two samples displayed against the shiny silver silk

The three dyeings against the silver, the narrow strip on the right being the final colour

The same three against a white background

Nothing to do with the above but the sky towards Wellington on Sunday night. Taken from my studio deck through the trees. The flash lights up the trees very nicely.

Next Blog: New Studio Curtains

Cerise/red and red/orange curtains, finished

When we built our house in 1996 I made calico (muslin) curtains each with a 30cm (12") hand-painted border around the bottom edges for the studio. At that time I was still very much into embroidery and my skills in surface design were embryonic. Over the years as my skills matured I kept thinking I must re-do those borders. As common with such thoughts it often takes time to actually do anything!
Well... I now have new curtain borders! During the last week or so I removed the old borders from the curtains, washed them, printed up some new borders and stitched them in place.
As this was not to be a serious time-consuming project I screenprinted the design using some existing screens and textile pigments. I had a rectangular screen with a grid of dots and used this twice, once masking off a circle in the middle of the screen, and then masking off the space around the circle. With a light grey pigment I randomly printed these two screens on to the borders as a background. Then I used two more existing screens which resulted from drawings of a chrysanthemum flower head. Only the second of these two screens needed registration.
As with the original curtains I used colours relating to the rainbow. There are four windows, eight curtains. They start with yellow/orange, then orange/red, red/cerise, cerise/purple, purple/blue, blue/teal, teal/green, green/yellow. Hopefully they will last at least another 12 years!

Grey dots and first print of cerise

Cerise and red print completed

Blue/teal print

Teal/blue and blue/purple curtains, finished

Next Blog: Shades of Grey

Daily Rituals

I must confess I am a complete failure at the daily drawing/sketching scenario that is often suggested as a worthwhile exercise for artists. I fully appreciate the reasons for doing this but I just sit there blankly, and then move on to other things. It just doesn't work for me. The same goes for taking sketch books and a camera wherever I go. An occasional sketch/note will appear in my handbag notebook but taking a camera around in my day-to-day life doesn't seem to fit. However, whilst overseas I seem to be able to do this successfully. Perhaps the focus is different in these situations and of course there is so much new stuff to see.
There are occasions, however, when I am quick to recognise something, especially when I am not focused on looking artistically. These things will simply 'jump out'. Fortunately, if I am away from home, I have quite a good photographic memory and am able to add the idea, image to my sketchbook when I get home. If the camera is handy, then a photo is taken and filed in a specific folder on my computer.
The other day around about midday I noticed the strong shadows under a chair on the my decking. I grabbed the camera and waited until the sun appeared from behind the clouds again – click! At the moment I have no intention of doing anything with the ideas but I thought I would share it with you.

First photo of chair and shadows

Cropped image

Second photo of chair

Cropped image, and turned. I feel the design goes better this way. If I was to use this as a basis it would still need alot more fine tuning......

Next Blog: New Studio Curtains

Recording Achievements

When one has been around for awhile, an assortment of information has accumulated and the need to do something with them becomes apparent.
I am refering to newspaper cuttings, exhibition invites and reviews, magazine articles, exhibition catalogues, photos, award certificates, qualification certificates and the like. All these are important to be kept, for our own personal acknowledgement and for easy access. Although we may be shy at starting such an archive too early, there should be no hesitation in getting it under way, and it is amazing how it soon grows.
I use a basic A4 ring binder file cover. I place a thin padding over the outside and then cover this with fabric (in my case something that I have painted / printed myself). The inside cover is tidied with a coordinated art paper. As information going into the folder is an assortment of sizes, everything is placed within copysafe pockets which allow for easy access for future reference.
This week I prepared a second such folder. My first was threatening to burst its ring binders; it now contains information from the early 1980's through to 2007. The second starts with 2008 and should keep me going for another decade or so.


The cover of my first folder.


The fabric covering this folder is the recently failed attempt of Celtic Rest. It now has a new lease of life as the cover of my second folder.

The following three photos are of open pages in my first folder.







Next Blog: Daily Rituals

2009 here we are!

Do people still make New Year goals? Thinking ahead to the New Year is always exciting and important but how about spending some time thinking back on the past year. Can we remember what we hoped we would achieve in 2008 and did we actually manage these? Perhaps some of them? It would be a rare creature who could say that they achieved all their goals. Most of us, hopefully, managed to achieve a fair share of our 2008 goals and this is the time to celebrate them.
Being realistic about our goals is important. Some things may take a few years to achieve and it is important to recognise this. Acknowledging progress so far spurs us on to further that achievement. At the same time we should question those that we have been procrastinating about for sometime – are they really important/necessary? If not – delete them, and move on...
At the time of posting this blog we now have 363 days left of 2009! It's a great time of year. Let's hope it will be safe and creative, and that world gloom will quietly dissipate.
As many of you know, I am a keen walking and during the summer months usually manage 5 – 6 km a day. Some of these walks are with friends but others are alone. It is amazing how the thoughts surface and many a conundrum is resolved as I walk.
Because we are still in our holiday mode, today's photos are taken early one Sunday morning on one my favourite walks. I never tire of this walk and hopefully you will see why!
All the very best for 2009....









Next Blog: Archiving Achievements