Thanks for checking in. I am a fiber artist. My current emphasis is on eco printing and other wildcraft with a touch of up-cycling thrown in. You can also catch up with me on Facebook at Drye Goods Studio.
Monday, March 4, 2013
More Steam Printing
This a mix of wind fall and dried pressed leaves, the silk was pre-treated with steel wool.
Hi Nan, when you say treated with steel wool, what do you do? I've just found your blog and I'm over the moon! Thanks so much. I'm loving it. I dye yarn and paper and make books. Linda x
Hi Linda! I will answer here, but since I have to do this in the next couple of days, watch for a post with pictures. Basically, it is like any object used to put rust on the fabric. Get the fabric wet, I use water with a splash of vinegar in it. Spread out enough plastic sheeting to protect the surface you are working on and then be able to fold it over the top of the fabric. Lay the fabric out flat on the plastic. Pull the steel wool pad apart and lay the pieces over the fabric. Then spray it with a vinegar and water solution and cover with the plastic sheeting. Come back the next day and pull off the steel wool, shake out the tiny bits and then rinse it in a solution of hot tap water with some salted in it. Then rinse again in some cool, clear water. The fabric is now ready to eco print. Needless to say, this procedure is not archival, but in small amounts rust is another way to apply metal particulate straight to the fabric without creating a large pot of toxic goo that needs special processing to dispose of. Look for the blog post in the next couple of days, I will include more exact amounts and some tips for doing this to paper as well. Thanks for you interest!
Hi Nan, when you say treated with steel wool, what do you do? I've just found your blog and I'm over the moon! Thanks so much. I'm loving it. I dye yarn and paper and make books. Linda x
ReplyDeleteHi Linda! I will answer here, but since I have to do this in the next couple of days, watch for a post with pictures. Basically, it is like any object used to put rust on the fabric. Get the fabric wet, I use water with a splash of vinegar in it. Spread out enough plastic sheeting to protect the surface you are working on and then be able to fold it over the top of the fabric. Lay the fabric out flat on the plastic. Pull the steel wool pad apart and lay the pieces over the fabric. Then spray it with a vinegar and water solution and cover with the plastic sheeting. Come back the next day and pull off the steel wool, shake out the tiny bits and then rinse it in a solution of hot tap water with some salted in it. Then rinse again in some cool, clear water. The fabric is now ready to eco print. Needless to say, this procedure is not archival, but in small amounts rust is another way to apply metal particulate straight to the fabric without creating a large pot of toxic goo that needs special processing to dispose of. Look for the blog post in the next couple of days, I will include more exact amounts and some tips for doing this to paper as well. Thanks for you interest!
Delete